Unwrapped
by joyindenver
Summary: After the Nevada-Louisiana takeover & before the Great Reveal, Sookie encounters a stranger who will show her that love doesn't require giving up on her dreams. But will those in her life, humans, shifters, vampires,& fairies make it easy for her?  AR
1. 1: The Beating

_**DISCLAIMER: **__The SVM series and its original characters are the sole property of Charlene Harris. I do not claim ownership to her characters. "Unwrapped" is strictly a creative exercise. _

_**CAUTION: **This story contains, though not ongoing, some material, such as profanity, adult content, sexual situations and innuendo, and graphic imagery that may be inappropriate for some readers._

_**ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: **My beta has helped me greatly in making sure I didn't totally embarrass myself or the reader. So a special thank you to her for catching as many of my mistakes as possible and asking great questions that helped me fill in some gaps. Please note that any mistakes in grammar, spelling, or continuity that you find are completely mine. As much as I would like to be perfect, I haven't reached that plain of existence - yet. Also a special thank you to my daughter. I know its not always easy living with my passion for fan-fiction, and you would rather go hang out with your friends than have to listen to mom regurgitate her story for the billionth time. Lastly, thank **you **for reading, and I hope you enjoy this new adventure._

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PART ONE

******_The Beating _**

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All three of the men knew no matter what was said or done, there would be pain involved. For their friend's injuries and cover story to work, they would have to thrash him. "Relax into the blows," advised Curt. He was the smaller of the two large burly men assigned to inflect the beating. His companions gave him a wry glare. Though Curt's words were meant to be consoling they did little to improve the situation.

"Be quick about it," said Preston, the tall angelic man. He stood resigned to his fate. There was just no way around what had to happen. Only days before had he agreed, though reluctantly, to go through with Niall's plans. That is until he had seen her.

She had just finished work and was leaving. When she had reached her car, she turned toward the trees that hid him and Niall. He had thought for a split second that she had seen him. It had felt like an infinite moment, her piercing gaze had stared directly at him where he hid in the trees, cutting him to the bone. He quivered.

The strong feelings her gaze had evoked in him had unsettled him. His initial reaction had been to flee toward safety, away from her. His second, an almost instant reaction was to languish in the painful feelings of sweet agony her eyes had created. Every cell inside him had been unexpectedly awakened. His body had reacted to her as if it knew the rapture of her mouth, her thighs, and her arms. This sudden and heightened awareness had given him a dull pain in his chest. Secretly, he returned each day after that first time to relive the suffering her beauty inflicted on him.

So despite his current situation, though momentarily unpleasant, would need to be endured. Besides, he could have thought up of a billion less pleasant ways to have paid off his debt to Niall than going along with Niall's cover; like infiltrating a vampire nest or worse, seducing a vampire.

"Sorry about this, man," the larger of his companions, Ralph, gave him an apologetic look. Before Ralph's expression faded, he slammed his large fist into the fairy. The smacking sound of bone hitting flesh filled the space around the men. The impact was so sudden and with such force, the tall beautiful man collapsed to the ground. Pain like millions of pieces of glass shards cut across his jaw.

Hunched over on the wet ground, Preston could feel his own aggression well up to the surface, but he wouldn't give in to it. He wasn't a helpless, or a weaker, or a less skilled man. This was his fate. So he took the pain with as much dignity as someone in his situation could. He closed his eyes and focused on her image. Instantaneously, every detail of her feminine features, which he had come to know as well as his reflection, came into clear view. He had never seen a human female so beautiful. Thinking of her, and how soon he would get to speak to her, distracted him from the pain he was feeling.

It took only several seconds, but the wave of pain he felt subsided, leaving his jaw throbbing with a tolerable level of discomfort. He opened his eyes, his hands gradually sinking into the saturated earth. He remained bent over on the damp ground, bracing himself for the next blow. But they never came. He glanced up at his companions who were staring down at him. What part of _"__be quick about it"_ had they not understood? He got to his feet, spitting out the blood that had pooled in his mouth.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked not attempting to conceal his agitation. Some might consider him stupid for agreeing to this cockeyed plan of being beaten, but he wasn't a masochist.

"Come on, man," said Ralph. The task at hand was difficult enough, but seeing their friend passively waiting for the blows that were to come seemed wrong. "Fight back," he growled menacingly. It was a deep guttural sound that their male primitive forms recognized as a challenge.

"Fine," said Preston. The air around the men instantly swirled and crackled with magic as they transformed from men into animals; Werewolves.

The tawny-colored wolf, once the ethereal man, the fairy with the gift of transforming, lunged forward with his powerful hind legs. His jaw snapped at his friend's neck. Within seconds, a good old fashion dog fight in-sued; long sharp canines tearing into fur and flesh. Bones cracking. Growls. Snarls. Blood curdling wails. Finally the last blow landed.

Defeated and unable to move, the tawny colored wolf laid wounded on the forest floor. The last ounce of fight left his body. His companions, transforming into their human forms, came to his aid. Well, as much as they could. Curt grunted as he reset his broken nose before it would heal misshapen. Ralph, the largest of the brutes, bruised and bleeding, with some effort crouched over the tawny colored wolf. He watched as his friend's form changed back to a man.

"You okay?" asked Ralph. The fairy waved his hand. This signaled to his companions that he would be fine. Preston would have spoken if his jaw hadn't broken when he was flung against the tree trunk, which he was now lying under. It would only take Preston a few minutes to begin to heal, and then the pain would be gone. He found some comfort in knowing this.

"I think we may have over done it Ralph," said Curt, the smaller of the two large men.

"You put up one hell of a fight," Ralph said with pride. "Will you be okay?" he asked his friend. Preston made a thumbs-up motion. "Alright then," said Ralph.

"She's coming," announced Curt, hearing the sound of steps entering the woods.

"We'll give you a few hours to settle in before we come back," they informed their beaten friend before disappearing into the woods.

Laying on the wet ground, Preston's body was wracked with pain from his various injuries. His jaw and his flesh were already tingling with the sensation of his body regenerating. On the damp forest floor, he couldn't help but feel annoyed with Niall for insisting that he be injured, thus the beating.

Especially, after Niall shot down his alternative plan without even a consideration. Preston thought running his car off the dirt road leading to her home would have done the trick, but Niall didn't agree. It obviously wasn't _dramatic_ enough, he thought. But Preston was too enthralled by the woman, so he agreed to the beating. He wasn't sure if this made him desperate or crazy. After all, there were a lot of other ways to meet women. ~


	2. 1: Good Samaritan

**Posted: **9/11/10  
**Updated:** 8/15/11

PART ONE

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**_The Good Samaritan_**

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With her iPod blaring through her headphones Sookie found herself outside splitting wood. It wasn't her ideal way to spend Christmas Eve. All her childhood life, Christmas had been about family. But as the years went by, one by one, her family grew smaller and smaller. But she wasn't entirely without kin. She had an estranged brother. Then there was her otherworldly family, her great-grandfather and the twins. The fact that they hadn't called her was hurtful. She understood that they didn't observe Christmas, but she did, and at the least she thought, they should have called.

Every fiber in her body wanted to call them, but she wasn't willing to put her wounded human sensibilities aside and pick-up the phone. Instead she had settled to wallow in pity and self loathing for some time, insisting on feeling and thinking that she was all alone in the world.

However, after sometime of thoroughly punishing herself for the hand fate had dealt her, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed her great-grandfather's number. She didn't want to be alone when it was within her power to remedy the situation.

"Hello," answered an unfamiliar voice.

"Hi, this is Sookie," she said.

"Hello," said the voice again. "I can hardly hear you."

"This is Sookie." She raised her voice and instantly she rolled her eyes. Shouting wouldn't make the connection stronger or clearer. "Can I talk to my Niall?" The connection went dead. _"Great,"_ she mumbled to herself.

The small window of clarity she had experienced quickly dissipated. Instead of picking up the house phone and trying again, she pulled on her boots and feather-down vest and opted to chop wood and continue to wallow.

Outside, as she split the wood, her thoughts drifted to all the reasons that she felt made her the most pathetic of all women. And of course those thoughts led her down memory lane and to her last failed relationship. After two months since the break-up, the pain was now a far off dull echo in her chest. She had placed a lot of hope on her relationship with Quinn, the famous weretiger. For the first time, marriage and children had seemed to be within her grasp. But then two months ago her hopes were dashed in two. Like her first relationship, secrets like termites, had infected it from the go.

Looking back she honestly couldn't see the warning signs. Though she was sure there had to be a lesson, she wasn't sure what it was. One thing she reluctantly admitted to herself was that she had placed perhaps too many expectations on Quinn. Maybe, she thought, she might have been asking too much. But was it really unreasonable to expect to come first in a man's life?

With a bit more force than was necessary, she split the last of the logs, sending the splintered wood flying in several directions. Her emotions once again had gotten the better of her. The wood landed several yards away, almost to the tree line. Slowly, she gathered the split wood closest to her, stacking it nicely in the firewood rack under the covered patio. She had cut more than enough wood, so much in fact that she had to haul the rest of it into the shed.

Just as her playlist on her iPod ended, she reached the pieces of wood that had landed near the tree line. With her hands full she would have to wait to click play until her hands were free. It was this temporary silence that enabled her to hear the faint wailing sounds coming from the direction of the woods. She froze and stared into the trees. The sound was muted, but she was certain she heard what sounded like a wounded animal, maybe a man. She dropped the wood and pulled out her headphones. A normal person would have probably bolted in the opposite direction at hearing the painful and frightening sound. But she wasn't a normal person.

Cautiously, she walked deeper into the woods, carefully stepping over the forest debris. After several minutes she telepathically scanned into the woods. There was only one mind that she picked up. It was someone supernatural. It wasn't until the moaning got loud that she questioned herself. But it was too late. About a yard from where she stood, she spotted a man on the ground.

Concern flooded her every cell, stunning the part of her mind that would have caused her to question what a naked man was doing in the woods. Without hesitation she rushed over and knelt beside him. He was naked, bloody, and muddy.

"Mister?" she gently called out to him. He turned and a pair of round and light brown eyes looked up at her. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but the feeling that those pair of bright eyes stirred in her startled her.

Preston's beating heart jolted. She spoke to him. That moment made what he'd just been through, worth it. "Get away from me," he said weakly. The words didn't come out as quickly as they would have normally. His jaw had healed enough to begin to form words, but it was painful for him to speak. "It's too dangerous," he managed to say.

Sookie had seen enough danger since she had gotten herself mixed up with vampires and Weres that automatically she reached out with her mind in search of something _"dangerous"_. But she couldn't find anyone or anything out there; at least no supe or human. She double-checked, because whatever did this to a supe, she was certain was someone she didn't want to bump into.

"No, there isn't anyone out there," she informed him.

"No, run," he was urgent. Sookie noticed his face twitch with pain

"There's no one out there for miles, at least not yet," she assured him not really paying attention to what he was now telling her since her eyes were too busy admiring his nude body. She felt a quickening like a rush of electricity pass through her and building up at her core. Even under all the mud and dried up blood, it was obvious to Sookie that he was young, vibrant, and handsome. Ashamed of her blatant wantonness at admiring his male form, she internally scolded herself.

He took in a sharp breath, trying to prop himself up. Instinctively, Sookie reached out to help him, but he protested. Sookie worked to conceal a smile. _"Men,"_ she thought sarcastically. She took a step back giving him a chance to manage on his own. As she watched him struggle, she noticed the woods around her darkening, and she grew nervous. Whatever was out there that had injured him, if it did get an inkling to come back and finish him off, she didn't want them to be there for it.

"We really need to go," she said a bit firmly. "It's getting dark fast and there's a vampire who lives on the property next to my woods." That seemed to do the trick. He accepted her help. "Put your arm around my neck," she advised him and he did. In the process he cursed. "Sorry," she said.

"It's ok." Preston's voice came out shallow and strained. He tried to focus on her wonderful soft scent instead of his injuries. This wasn't how he would have preferred to first meet her. He was hurt and in pain, helpless. Not the suave and gallant impression he would have liked to have made.

Once on his feet, though Sookie really tried not to look, she couldn't resist. Even through all the mud, he was an eye full; a tall drink of cold water after months in the desert parched. For the second time in only minutes, she found herself lusting after this complete stranger.

The last man she had slept with was Quinn and that was about two months ago. Despite the problems she had had with Quinn, they never had a problem in the bedroom. For that matter, neither did her and Bill. Her subtle feminine body knew the ecstasy a man's touch could ignite, and she quaked with desire. She had gone from having great sex to absolutely nothing. Being so close to not just any man, but the handsome stranger in her arms, made her keenly aware of her rumbling desire.

"What's your name?" she asked him, feeling that perhaps talking might distract him from the pain of his injuries and distract her from her lustful thoughts.

"Preston," he said. "Preston Pradloe," he freely admitted to her completely forgetting the alias he was supposed to give her. Though he was told by Niall to keep personal information about himself from her, he wanted her to know his name. He'd made this decision the first time he had seen her. Niall had brought him to Bon Temps so he could get a glimpse of her. Preston didn't know who she was, only that according to Niall, she was _"deserving"_.

When Niall had first approached him, he thought the ancient fairy had lost his mind. But he owed the Prince, so he reluctantly agreed. The moment he saw her, lively and beautiful, he was mesmerized. What Niall didn't know was that he came back each day over the last several days to watch her. Every time when he returned home to Baton Rouge, he felt restless. He longed for the soft sweet pain in his chest that he felt when he would see her. And so he returned every day, observing her going about her routine, day after day. Her rhythm comforted him; relaxed him.

What Preston didn't know was that his reaction at first seeing her did not go unnoticed. If Preston's breath catching audibly hadn't given him away, Niall immediately recognized the expression on the young fairy's face. He had seen the same look in his son Fintan's eyes when he fell in love with the beautiful Adele. Niall was certain he himself had had the same expression when he first saw Einin his late wife. But knowing that Fintan desired to keep his grandchild away from the fairy world, he was compelled, despite his own feelings, to order the young fairy not to have contact with Sookie after Christmas Eve.

Reluctantly, Preston agreed for fear that Niall would find another to do his bidding. The thought of another fairy entering her home and enjoying her smiles and charms tugged at Preston in a way that he hated_. "No,"_ he didn't want that, so he agreed to Niall's terms to be beaten and acknowledged that Niall didn't want him contacting her after Christmas Eve, but not exactly saying that he wouldn't.

"Where are you from Preston?" Sookie asked. Her sweet voice was like a romantic song to his ears.

"I'm from Baton Rouge," he said instantly, not thinking. The truth slipped out so easily he didn't realize it until he heard it with his ears. Again, he knew he wasn't supposed to share private information about himself with her, but the compulsion to hold nothing back from her was almost more than he could resist. Sookie picked up on the surprise in his voice, but she wasn't sure of the reason why he was, or if she was interpreting his tone correctly.

"How'd you get to be in my woods?"

"Well . . ." He hesitated for a long stretch. Sookie sensed he was debating what to tell her, but she didn't know why. Preston wanted to tell her the truth, but he knew he couldn't. He wanted to tell her that Niall sent him, that he thought she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, that he would give her everything she desired, that he would risk imprisonment in order to be in her arms. Instead he fell silent.

"What are you, Preston?" she asked thinking perhaps it was the fact that he wasn't exactly human that made him hesitate. She knew by his brain waves that he wasn't entirely human. Preston had a smoother and thicker brain pattern. However, she didn't want to scare him by telling him how it was that she knew he wasn't human. People too often tended to react badly when she told them she was a telepath.

Her telepathy wasn't limited to listening to people's thoughts, but seeing and listening to their memories, and sensing a person's emotions. She could also pick-up on the energy people's minds gave off. Everyone's mind had its own texture and pattern; similar species shared common features.

"You know?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "I know you're not exactly human." Truth was that she knew way more than she'd ever wanted to know about the supernatural world. She personally knew of vampires, shifters, maenads, dwarfs, goblins, and of course fairies. Though she hadn't encountered other creatures, she knew they existed in the shadows.

"So what are you?" she asked as they fumbled their way through the woods.

"A Were," he said and Sookie let out a soft chuckle. She knew there was no way he was a shifter; the brain never lied. The smooth pattern his mind gave off reminded her of Mr. Hobbs, a goblin she once met, Dr. Ludwig, who was a dwarf, and of course her fairy relatives. Not only that, but shifters, Weres included, all gave off an uneven toothy pattern.

"If you're a Were, I'm a goblin," Sookie replied sarcastically. Preston's body tensed against hers. Had she guessed what he truly was? At the core of his being, he hoped she had. He wanted her to know what he was; who he was. Sookie however, wasn't sure how to interpret what she sensed. She was only certain that she didn't want to alarm him; whatever he was. "It's okay," she said deciding to drop the subject. She never probed someone's mind unless she felt threatened. And for some reason, she wasn't sure why, she knew he wasn't a danger to her.

She could read his emotions, and not one suggested he would harm her. Preston was a good broadcaster of his emotions, and he was feeling anxious. Immediately, she attributed his anxiety to the fact that supernaturals for the most part were very secretive; herself included. So she didn't begrudge Preston for feeling the way he did. It took her a lot to tell Sam, her shifter friend and boss, what she was, and she knew Sam for a few years before she told him. Preston on the other hand, she recognized, didn't know her from Adam or Eve.

"It's ok Preston, it doesn't matter," she assured him. The woods around them were growing darker and it made her nervous. She knew Preston was hurting, but they really needed to pick up their pace. "We need to try to hurry. The last things we want to deal with right now are hungry and curious vampires," she said. They started moving faster. What concerned Sookie were the small traces of fairy blood flowing through her veins. It gave her a very unique, sweet flavor and scent that had an aphrodisiac effect on vampires. And when vampires first woke up, they had two strong needs; hunger and lust.

Quickly, Sookie scanned over toward Bill's property. He was her only neighbor for miles. His land butted up against Sookie's twenty acres. Telepathically, she reached out to see if he and his vampire guests were up. It took some effort, but she sensed them all moving about. Her immediate concern was the vampire's keen sense of smell. And when it came to blood – well, it was clear. Not only this, but Bill had the habit of wandering the woods around Sookie's house. She wasn't sure why he did that; if it was to spy on her or just to make sure she was safe. She really didn't care. All she knew, regarding Bill at that moment, was that she didn't want to run into him. He was still a young vampire, and his self control wasn't that well developed.

Preston braced himself. Though every minute that passed his body was healing, he wasn't completely back to his normal state. He struggled to keep up with the pace Sookie was setting for them. He pressed his lips together tightly to keep from crying out, but even that motion was excruciating.

His feet felt like ground meat. While in his wolf form fighting with Curt and Ralph his feet had been damaged by the debris on the forest floor. The flesh on the bottoms, were tender, but he knew they couldn't afford to slow down. If the vampires picked up his fairy scent, he knew he didn't have the strength to fight them off. Then his fears went from his own safety, to Sookie's safety. Somehow he had a feeling if they were attacked, she wouldn't run even if he begged her. He instantly hoped that Ralph and Curt were still close enough to hear his howls for help.

All of a sudden he stepped on a fallen branch. It cut into the bottom of his foot. A shriek of pain escaped his lips. His cry yanked Sookie's attention back to Preston.

"Sorry," she anxiously said. "We really need to hurry. The vampires are up." Preston nodded his head and swallowed the pain. With some effort they made it out of the woods. Upon seeing the light from the back porch illuminating the property around the back side of the house, Sookie breathed aloud, "Thank God." Preston seconded a similar sentiment.

It took some great effort to get Preston up the back steps. His feet were really damaged. But somehow, they awkwardly made it up and into the kitchen. Preston took a seat in the chair Sookie pulled out for him. He sat thankful not to be moving and watched her as she peeled off her coat vest. Her cheeks were flushed from the exertion, giving her a lovely rosy complexion. She was exquisite and more beautiful up close.

As Sookie laid her vest on the table, she glanced at Preston several times, her eyes raking over his nudity. With some deliberate effort she struggled to keep her eyes just on his injuries.

"Do you feel up to a shower?" she asked. He had mud and dried blood covering virtually every surface of his chiseled body. Not only did it _obscure the view_, thought Sookie, but it made it difficult to determine the extent of his injuries in his present dirty condition.

"Yeah, I think so." He nodded.

"Alright then," she said helping him get to his feet. Preston leaned into her as she helped him toward the bathroom. Sookie noticed that despite being dirty Preston had an unusual scent; it wasn't unpleasant to her by any means, it was just different; a faint musky, woodsy sweetness that reminded her of the woods after it rained. She had never picked up anything quite like it before. Regardless, she was certain that he wasn't a shifter - definitely not a werewolf. Shifters of all kinds had a wet animal scent depending on which animal they shifted into at full moon.

Once in the bathroom, with Sookie's help, Preston sat on the toilet seat. Again he was relieved not to be moving. Wearily, Preston watched Sookie. When he first saw her, it was from a distance and even then he could appreciate her beauty. Up close, she was striking. Though he was in some discomfort from the beating he'd endured, he was a male, and seeing Sookie's soft and subtle body bent over the edge of the tub, he felt himself becoming aroused. He wondered if she knew what she was doing; the effect her moving in the way that she was could have on a male?

It didn't escape Sookie's notice that Preston was watching her. Though her experience with men was limited, she recognized the look a man got in his eye when he felt a stirring for a woman. Though she tried not to, she couldn't help it; a small smile brightened her face. It had been too long since she was admired by someone she didn't mind being admired by.

Though she knew what she was about to do was on her list of '_thou shall not's', _temptation got the better of her. Carefully, she reached out with her telepathy and probed Preston's mind. It only took her a few seconds for her to realize that she couldn't get through. Preston's thoughts were opaque like most supes were to her at first. Everyone had what felt to her like a shield, which encased people's minds. Human shields were rather thin; however, supernatural minds were different. Their shields were dense, sometimes so dense that she couldn't get through. Typically, if she was going to get a reading from someone, the first thing that she would detect was their emotions. So far with Preston, she was still catching only flashes of nervousness and apprehension, but no thoughts.

"Ready?" she asked, hiding her disappointment over not being able to hear his thoughts, but immediately felt it was for the best. Her ability had made having a relationship with a regular human impossible. Still she couldn't help wishing she could see what he thought of her. Then again, as her thoughts turned negative, she didn't want to know if he thought she was a complete moron.

Preston nodded his head to let her know he was ready. She helped him get to his feet. He was stiff; awkwardly he managed to get himself into the tub with her support. With his hand that wasn't holding onto her, he reached out and pressed it against the wall to brace himself. The instant the hot water hit him, he felt much better. Realizing he still had his other arm around her, he removed it. That's when he noticed her eyes trailing over the expanse of his chest. Ever so gently, so she wouldn't notice, he smiled privately. He waited for several long seconds to give her time. His eyes fixed on her lovely face watching her eyes; young and eager. He wondered if it was desire that he saw on her face. He immediately wondered what her delicate hands caressing him would feel like, and he felt the result of the imagery.

"What's your name?" he asked before he embarrassed them both. Quickly, Sookie's eyes snapped up to his face. She felt herself turn several shades of red, which she hoped he'd credit to the steaming shower.

"Soo—" Her voice broke nervously. She struggled to push aside the image of the water trailing down his chest and dripping off his manly parts. Distracted by his masculine beauty, she didn't notice much else. "Sookie." She straightened her back and swallowed, hoping and praying that he hadn't noticed her staring at him. "Sookie Stackhouse."

"Thank you Sookie." He smiled, knowing she was embarrassed.

"If you need anything." She heard herself stuttering and cringed at how foolish she must sound. "Or if you need help getting out, just call me."

"I'll make sure to yell out if I need you," he said. Sookie smiled at him not trusting herself to speak, and regretfully, she closed the door. ~


	3. 1: Ruse is Up

PART ONE

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**_The Ruse is Up_**

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After leaving Preston alone in the bathroom, naked and wet, Sookie leaned against the door. She didn't trust what she was feeling. The last man to affect her so strongly was Quinn. The first time Quinn had touched her, actually licked her leg, had been one of the most erotic experiences of her life. Even with Eric around, who makes any woman of any species go weak at the knees, she only felt her own desire for Quinn. But Preston hadn't touched her in any way that was provocative. It was just the sight of him that made her insides rumble with desire.

It was this sensation that she didn't trust, because last time listening to these feelings didn't turn out so well for her. It was this stirring heat that got her to sleep with Bill, and with Eric, and with Quinn. It seemed to her that her feelings always led to disappointment, and she wasn't up to repeating her mistakes—again.

With only a door between her and this stranger that made her feel mushy, she was determined not let herself fall into bed with Preston. She took a few steadying breaths, pushed her back off the door, and went into the kitchen. Preston had left a trail of blood stains on the floor from his foot. As she cleaned the floor, her thoughts were occupied with many questions about the sexy stranger in her bathroom.

How did he end up on her property? What exactly had he done? Who attacked him? Was there anyone he needed her to contact? So many questions and no answers, _"Yet". _Once her task was done she went to her room deciding to change into a fresh set of clothes.

Quickly, she pulled on a fresh tee and her favorite yoga pants. She remembered she had a pair of men's socks she never returned, and decided to offer them to Preston. Though the prospect of seeing Preston wearing nothing but the socks was enticing, she searched through her closet and drawers for something that might fit him. But unless he was a woman's size 10, there wasn't a thing that would work. _But_ her eyes caught the nice silky floral robe still on its hanger on the back of her closet door. A mischievous grin decorated her face. She removed the robe, and figured she would offer it. It had been a Christmas present from Amelia.

On her way back toward the kitchen, she slowed when she approached the bathroom. For a few long seconds she stood in the hallway staring at the bathroom door. The water was still running. The scent of strawberries lingered outside the door. Unconsciously, she breathed in the aroma. A sense of contentment warmed her. The house always felt different, she felt different, when there was a man in the house. Their energy, sounds, and scents were like comfort food to her.

With a smile on her face, she returned to the kitchen and began rummaging through the cabinets, not sure what to offer him. It would take too long to make something fresh, so she did the easiest thing. She pulled out some leftovers and heated them. Not knowing what he might like to drink, she decided to brew a pot of coffee and boil some water for tea. Happily, her mind was occupied with these tasks and she loved being filled with purpose.

Quietly, Preston walked in to the kitchen. Sookie was lost in thought, not noticing him at first. He stood, admiring the way her hips swayed and listening to her softly humming. She was happy. It made him feel good in a way that nothing else ever had. Instead of the floor falling out from under his feet, he felt the earth appear firm and steady beneath him. This odd feeling coupled with watching her was something he knew he could spend years feeling and doing and never grow restless from. Hesitantly, he let the door close behind him, and the sound drew Sookie's attention.

She turned, seeing him nude and wrapped only in a towel; she felt her private areas throb. Immediately, her resolve weakened, and she wished she would have experimented with her other present Amelia had given her. Since she was man-less, Amelia had given her a sex toy to help ease her frustrations. What Amelia hadn't said out loud, but Sookie heard nonetheless, was that she hoped it would improve her mood for both their sakes. When she unwrapped her gift, Sookie had flushed at least three shades of red.

"Here you go," Sookie went to the table and handed Preston the socks, "I thought your feet might be tender."

"Yes," he said taking them from her.

"Oh, and this is all I have that might fit," she handed him the robe. He gave her a doubtful look, but he took it and laid it on his side of the table. Slowly, since he was still in a little pain, he bent over to put the socks on.

"I can help you," sensing he was still in some discomfort, Sookie automatically knelt in front of him.

"No, its ok," Preston's breath rushed out.

"I don't mind," Sookie insisted. Seeing his feet, she couldn't help wince. They were scratched, swollen, and red. As gently as she could, she guided his socks on. Preston couldn't take his eyes off her. Her tenderness melted something inside him, gluing his eyes on her.

Sookie absently glanced up. She admired his dark hair and how it covered his shoulders, and his chest. Her eyes continued down, toward his waist where the blue towel rested low. He was nice and clean. _"Wow,"_ she thought. He looked like he had just stepped out of a pinup calendar. Privately she was nodding her head in disbelief. Gently, she slipped the other sock on his foot.

"Thank you," his voice was soft and gentle. She lifted her chin and was drawn in by his warm and kind eyes.

"You're welcome," she smiled straightening up. Under his soulful eyes she felt more of her self control evaporate. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

"Yes, it smells really good."

"It's just leftovers," she warned him. Carefully, she placed a plate in front of him with a fork, "Would you like something to drink?"

"Tea would be nice," he said.

"I don't keep lemons in the house, sorry," she smiled, placing the tea in front of him. Her great-grandfather and Claudine, her fairy godmother, had no tolerance for lemons. It was some kind of fairy allergy. Lemons had actually killed Claudine's triplet, Claudia. This was why Sookie was paranoid that lemon juices and pieces would accidentally get on something she offered them, so she just didn't keep any in the house.

"That's fine," he smiled. Sookie turned and poured herself a cup of coffee, and took the chair across from him.

"It's real good," said Preston. The aroma and taste of what she served him was divine. He was always real hungry when he was healing and he felt grateful that she had offered him something to eat.

Sookie nursed her coffee as she wondered whether or not he was married. A quick glance at his hands told her he wasn't, but it didn't mean that he didn't have a girlfriend. He looked up and smiled at her. His eyes were the warmest and lightest shade of brown. They were so gentle and yet there was a heat to them. She felt an instant _zing _sensation. Her hormones surged and Sookie's heart beat spiked. Scared of what she felt, she quickly looked at her mug and took a drink.

"You should let me see your shoulder," she said. He nodded. She stood up from her chair and went and stood next to him. Carefully, she brushed aside his long hair, the color of melted dark chocolate. When she lifted the towel, her delicate fingers glided against his bare skin. Sookie heard his breath catch in his throat. The sound gave her another z_ing _of electric butterflies.

Preston was afraid of looking up at her. She was so close and so warm. He feared that he wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to seduce her in her own kitchen. His experience with human women was limited, but he knew fairy women well. They wouldn't give themselves to a fairy male unless they had proven to be loyal and ardent with their love. But Sookie was human, and he knew he could use magic to influence her into taking him into her bed. However, secretly, he wanted more. He shifted in his chair. Her small feminine fingers made him nervous and dizzy.

A smile spread across Sookie's face as she examined his shoulder. She wasn't sure if Preston felt the same way or not, but she liked the way his skin felt under her finger tips. Quickly, she erased the smile off her face, remembering her resolution. Focusing on his injury she was surprised by what she found. His shoulder, where there had been a deep gaping wound was healed. Young pink skin now covered it.

"You're able to heal?" she asked. She knew vampires and shifters could heal, but not this fast. He nodded. "How quickly?"

Preston shrugged his shoulders. "It depends," he said.

"How did you get hurt?" she asked him and he started to explain how he'd been caught up in a skirmish while conducting negotiations for payment. Supposedly, Preston had offended the Packmaster's daughter by turning down her romantic attentions, and now the Packmaster was demanding compensation. Though his story sounded believable, she knew he wasn't being entirely truthful.

"What are you?" she asked.

"A Were," he persisted. Sookie didn't understand why he kept insisting that he was a Were. She could see from his brain signature that he wasn't.

"I know you're not a shifter," she said matter-of-factly. Suddenly, Sookie saw his mind go from a smooth thick pattern to a classic jagged Were rhythm. She had never seen anything like it before. _It was impossible_.

"What else could I be?" he asked holding out his hand. Effortlessly his arm rippled from his shoulder to his fingers. It was the most elegant transformation Sookie had ever witnessed. There was no sound; no crackling of bones and muscles and ligaments.

Seconds ago, the smooth pattern of his mind told her he was a fairy. Then, right before her eyes, his brain pattern changed. Then his arm changed. None of it made sense to her. Before he had gotten nervous, his mind was an amber color; almost gold. Now his mind was red and ragged like a shifter. From the smooth pattern his mind first gave off, she had thought he was a fairy,_ "But his arm transformed"_. Was it possible Preston was part fairy and something else, maybe part shifter? _"Was it possible?"_

Her mind quickly contemplated every possibility.

"Sookie," he said, "what do you think I am?" he asked again. Her unblinking gaze on him hadn't waivered. She hesitated to answer him.

It was a struggle to reconcile what she saw. "How did you do that?" she asked.

"This?" he said and his arm transformed again.

"No not that," she said, "with your mind. How did you do that?" Preston had a look of confusion on his face. "What are you?" she asked again.

"What do you think I am?"

"I…I…I don't know," she breathed. Her forehead wrinkled with concentration. She was struggling to make sense of what she was seeing with her eyes and with her telepathy. Without really thinking, she reached her hand out and rested it on Preston's normal hand. Touching sometimes helped to amplify any telepathic vibes. Almost instantly she hit the dense shield around his mind. She focused harder.

Expectantly, Preston felt himself lean forward waiting for her to answer. Her hand on his was surprising. His gaze locked on her soft feminine hand. He was glad that she felt comfortable enough with him to do that. He moved his gaze from her hand to her eyes and noticed Sookie's eyes had changed. Her clear brilliant blue eyes glazed over. Unblinking and expressionless, she stared at him; through him; into him.

Bewilderment wracked his mind. Niall had said she was human; she looked human. But at that precise moment, the frozen expression; her strange and beautiful eyes; Preston was certain it was her he was picking up pressing against his mind. Preston's eyes widen, and his expression was something between surprise and alarm. In an instant, he slid his hand out from under hers. _"Who was she? What was she?" _

"Maybe—some kind of fairy…" her voice trailed off as she studied him. Sookie noticed several emotions quickly wash over his face.

"A fairy?" he asked in the way that made her want to question herself. She couldn't be positive. All she was certain of was that he was either some sort of _special super_ fairy or shifter.

She slowly nodded her head side-to-side. "A…fairy shifter..." she stopped. There was a tiny part of her that doubted her reasoning; her back stiffened. She wouldn't back down from her conclusion. This was her home, and he was her guest. Let her sound crazy.

With bated breath she watched Preston's face and lovely tawny eyes beam like he'd just won the lottery. Sookie wondered if she was right. Instantaneously, she saw his mind return to the smooth thick pattern he had when she first found him in the woods.

"How did you do that?" she gasped in wonder. In all her life, she had never met anyone who could arbitrarily change their brain signature. It was like a person changing their fingerprints; it was impossible. There were no shifters that she knew who could do that. She wasn't sure about fairies since she only knew three, her great-grandfather, and the twins.

Their exchange was suddenly interrupted with an eerie sound; deep guttural wailing. She shuddered.

Outside there were werewolves howling in the dark. Sookie jerked her head to look out the window. All she could see was black. The sound sent shivers down her back, and the hairs on her arms stood up. Without a word to Preston, she walked out of the kitchen.

Preston had forgotten why he was there, but hearing Ralph and Curt howling, he remembered. This was the part of Niall's script where he would be threatened and hunted, and he needed to act afraid. His Were friends would make a big pretense of looking for him, but would not succeed. Preston hated misleading Sookie. Hesitant to go through with Niall's ruse, he followed her.

She made a beeline to where she kept her Benelli rifle. When she turned around Preston was surprised to see her holding a shotgun. While his eyes focused on the rifle, Sookie's attention was on his nakedness. The towel he had wrapped around his waist had slipped off somewhere in the kitchen. She mentally shook the image from her mind, telling herself that she would have to think about what she just saw, later.

The phone in the kitchen started ringing.

Sookie supposed it was probably her great-grandfather. She had called him earlier from her cell phone, but the signal was too low and she dropped the call. Taking steps toward the kitchen door to answer the phone, the sudden pounding on the front door stopped her. Her heart palpitated at an alarming rate. Ignoring the phone, she made for the front door. Looking through the peephole she saw a big and intimidating werewolf in a leather vest on her front porch.

"What do you want?" she called out through the door.

"Let me in," answered the large, burly man. Sookie scoffed at his reply thinking it was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard. Not just that, but his voice, which any person would have expected to be low and rumbling by the size of him, was high pitched. Sookie stifled several laughs at the irony.

"Does this have to do with you?" she asked Preston, not very politely, as she threw him a hard look. She knew he wasn't exactly a Were and that he hadn't been telling her the truth about how he ended up in her woods, or why he was attacked.

In thirty seconds or less, she first thought, _"What mess had this fairy, part something else gotten her into?_ Her second thought was that she should have left him in the woods. And her last thought was to scan the mind behind the door. In a blink, she saw that there were only two werewolves outside.

With naked Preston standing in her living room, she flung the door open and pumped the shotgun. The threatening sound the Benelli made filled her with courage.

"Get in here," she barked at the Were. His attention was fixed on the shot gun. Sookie waved the muzzle for him to enter. He came in with his hands in the air. With a swift kick of her foot, the front door slammed shut. "Lay on your stomach," commanded Sookie. The large brute glanced over at Preston.

"Don't look at him," she said. It took the hulking man several movements, but he managed to get his big frame onto the hardwood floor. "Lay your arm out toward me," she instructed him.

"Look," he said with his high voice reminding Sookie of Mike Tyson the boxer, "I don't want any problems—"

"Then you shouldn't have pounded on my door," she interrupted him. "Now shut up and put your arm out." He carefully laid out his hand toward her.

"I just want that werewolf, and I'll leave peacefully," he said.

"Yeah yeah," she mumbled sarcastically, "if you try reaching for me, I'll splatter your guts all over my floor." Sookie needed to get inside his mind. Carefully, she knelt down to get in a better position to touch his wrist. "Don't move."

"What are you doing?" he asked nervously. "Look lady," he said. Quicker than a blink, by touching him, she was able to get inside his mind. His thoughts were cloudy, but she would just have to do her best to read them. "Who sent you?" she asked not caring what he said. She was more interested in the information the question would elicit from his mind. Hop scotching from one thought to the other, it took her only seconds before she picked up on Niall's name. Confused, she followed that thought.

"What does Niall have to do with you being here?" she asked.

"Hey," barked the Were, "what are you doing to me?"

"Look," Sookie stood up, pointing the muzzle of her rifle at him, "I'll be real put out if you get my floor dirty." Feeling certain, the large man would stay still; she knelt back down and touched him again. "Why are you here?"

His mouth said the same thing, he was here for Preston. But his snarly thoughts told her that Niall paid them to make a fuss looking for Preston. They weren't to harm Sookie or Preston or damage any of her property. _"__What the hell was going on?"_ she thought. "Who are you?" she asked him, but she read his name quicker than he was able to speak it. "Ralph," she said forcefully, "get up."

Backing away from the Were, Sookie watched him carefully get to his feet. "Go home. I don't want to have to tell Niall that I had to kill you for putting on a lame ass show." That was not the reaction the big brute was looking to get from her. He chanced a glance over at Preston.

"Ughm," was the sound that came out of the big Were as Sookie flung open the door.

"Oh," she said as an afterthought, "Ralph, tell Curt who's coming around the house right now, to get the hell off my property."

"I don't want any trouble," said Ralph waving his hands in peace.

"Well, I can't speak for Niall, but you won't get any trouble from me unless you don't get off my property." By this time Curt was standing at the bottom of the front porch looking dumbfounded.

"Preston?" asked Ralph.

"Just go," was all Preston said. Ralph stepped onto the porch. Sookie followed him with her shot gun and watched as the two Weres left.

Once they were out of sight, she switched to her telepathy. The two big men had parked their car over where Debbie Pelt had. Sookie was certain that the county really needed to do something about that abandoned road. Over the last year and a half that road had proven to be a thorn in her side.

When she was certain Ralph and Curt were gone, she turned and stepped inside the house. ~


	4. 1: Are we Clear?

**Posted:** 9/11/10  
**Updated:** 8/1/11

PART ONE

* * *

**_Are we Clear_**

* * *

Preston, still naked, stood in the living room, his eyes fixed on Sookie. He waited for her to speak, not sure what to expect. His best bet, he figured, would be to wait for her, allow her to take the lead, and then he would come up with a plan to fix the situation, which would be slightly easier if he knew what and who she was. All he knew for certain was that she wasn't entirely human.

Sookie closed the door and placed the rifle back in the closet, purposely avoiding Preston's gaze. "Get me something to drink," she said plopping herself down in the armchair. Preston didn't wait for her to tell him again. He turned, headed into the kitchen, and started going through the cabinets. He knew she was upset, and if she was anything like a fairy woman, he figured he better find something strong for her to drink.

"_Perfect,"_ he quietly mumbled, finding exactly what he was hoping to find. As he made his way back into the living room he decided his backup plan would be to use magic. _"If it even worked on her,"_ he silently thought.

When he entered the living room Sookie was still in the chair. Her expression was filled with questions, anger, and exhaustion. Preston handed her the short glass of bourbon. She avoided looking directly at him and this worried Preston. She took the glass and held it to her soft perfect lips. He'd dreamed of those lips for weeks.

Carefully, Sookie sipped the bourbon and then gulped the rest of it down. _"Not good,"_ Preston privately lamented. Sookie closed her eyes as the bourbon burned smoothly all the way down. It took her a few seconds before she opened her eyes again. Unexpectedly, she started laughing at seeing Preston naked and wearing nothing but white socks. He looked like the perfect unwrapped gift.

"For Pete's sakes, cover your self," she said waving her hand up and down the length of his amazing body. In less than a second Preston went into the kitchen and retrieved the towel wrapping it around his waist. "You're crazy," she pointed out the moment he returned into the living room, "letting Curt and Ralph beat you to a pulp." She had seen everything in Ralph's mind. "I can't believe it. What in your right mind and Niall's were you both thinking?"

"Niall," Preston hesitated. He was uncertain how much to tell her without angering Niall. "He said you were '_deserving'_ and that I was to make you happy."

"You were supposed to make me happy?" Sookie thought it sounded like a tall order. Not that she was hard to please, far from it, she was profoundly simple when it came to what made her happy.

"Helping people makes you happy, so I was hurt," he explained. "And protecting people makes you happy, so I was _hunted_." Sookie wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't say '_no sir'_. There was truth in everything he was saying so far. "And you haven't had sex in a long time." Sookie's eyes opened wide with shock. She didn't know how he knew that. "So I planned to seduce you," he absently let the words slip out of his mouth. The moment he heard himself speak the words out loud, he regretted them. Sookie stared at him, her vivid blue eyes wide and unblinking. She wasn't sure if she should be horrified or shocked at the way she became excited at the latter part of his confession.

"Ohmygod," she groaned painfully and buried her face in to her open hands. She was utterly mortified. If ever the ground needed to open up and swallow her whole, it was now. In a flash she remembered Amelia going on about her needing sex, not realizing that Niall was in the next room. The thought that he had heard them —she wanted to die. Amelia had bought her a pink vibrator and Niall, she thought, gave her a live one. Granted, she mused, _a gorgeous one_, if you liked the chiseled from top to bottom Italian god type. "Geesh!" Sookie moaned inaudibly_. _She could only imagine how pathetic they all thought her to be.

"Sookie?" Preston's voice was gentle and smooth. She was too embarrassed to face him. She hated to think about what he thought of her. "Sookie?" He gingerly touched her knee. Preston was wrought with worry. He hated himself for having hurt her. "Please don't be sad."

"I'm not sad," she mumbled into her hands. The words and the feelings were true, which surprised her. As she went over everything that had happened over the last few hours, she realized that all day she had been sad…until Preston.

Abruptly a new man's voice resounded in the room.

"What have you done?" Niall demanded. His sudden appearance startled Preston and Sookie. She sprung to her feet, standing only inches from Preston's very warm and naked body.

"Nothing," Sookie immediately rang out. She swayed back on her heels. Preston reached over and steadied her by her waist. Though it was quick, it didn't escape his notice the way she responded to his touch: the way she drew in her breath and the way her pupils dilated. Sookie tried to ignore the sensuous feelings that being so close to Preston induced. "We didn't do anything," she sang innocently though her voice was laced with guilt. About the only thing she was guilty of was coveting Preston.

Niall's eyes darted suspiciously from Sookie to Preston. They both wore guilty expressions on their faces. Niall drew in a silent breath and instantly was relieved that he didn't smell sex on either of them. Though it was rare for a human and fairy to breed, he had worried that with Sookie's unique heritage; she could be impregnated by a fairy rather easily. He hadn't given Preston permission to lay with her, but then again he didn't say he couldn't. Now he regretted not being more precise with his instructions.

"You called," Niall said. "I was told you didn't sound yourself. Then I couldn't reach you."

Sookie stepped away from Preston and walked toward Niall. "I'm happy to see you Great-Grandfather." She embraced him.

Niall glanced at Preston and saw the surprise on the fairy's face at hearing Sookie's admission. Sookie's relation to him was kept from Preston for their safety. Niall's enemies were strong and wouldn't hesitate to use Sookie against him. They also wouldn't hesitate to torture Preston into revealing Sookie's whereabouts. Now he felt compelled to threaten the young fairy with his life should he ever speak a word to anyone about his great-granddaughter.

Lovingly, Niall wrapped his arms around Sookie and kissed her gently on her forehead. "I was worried," he said. "I thought…" his voice faded. He thought he had made a mistake trusting Preston. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you," he apologized.

"Ralph, the Were you had beat up Preston, scared me," Sookie explained. Right away she noticed Niall's expression change slightly. He wasn't happy. "When you called," she explained. "Ralph pounded on my door, frightening me."

"You weren't supposed to know," Niall said. He shot Preston a hard disapproving look. He was almost certain that he was going to have to hurt the young fairy for disobeying him.

"It wasn't Preston's fault," Sookie quickly stated. The way Niall had looked at Preston worried her. "I saw it in Ralph's mind." Her confession surprised Niall. He hadn't known she could read shifters. A wide and proud smile spread across his face. His great-granddaughter's gift was stronger than he had expected. "I only just found out," Sookie explained. "It was all overwhelming and Preston was just trying to comfort me."

"I see," Niall said giving her a kind expression, which went blank when he looked over at Preston.

Sookie didn't like the look on Niall's face. She didn't want Preston to get into any trouble on her account. "He's beautiful." She glanced over at Preston. His soulful tawny eyes met hers. Her stomach tightened. The way he looked at her, she knew she was in real danger _from herself_. "It wasn't necessary sending him," she quickly told Niall wanting Preston to know that even though she found him attractive, she wouldn't be falling into bed with him. "You really shouldn't have sent him."

"You never allow me to give you anything," Niall replied. "I saw an opportunity."

"Spending time with you is more than I could ask for," she reminded him for the billionth time, but he wasn't satisfied. He was a grandfather, and he enjoyed giving his grandchildren gifts. "Besides Jason," Sookie whispered. "Who you know I'm not speaking to because—well you know why—and of course Claudine and Claude, you're my only family."

"Yes, dear one," Niall whispered holding her hand between his two. "So you're happy with the companion I sent you?" he asked. Of all the fairies he could have sent to her, Niall was certain she would enjoy Preston's company the most. He was young, handsome, and vibrant much like her.

"Yes," Sookie answered succinctly surprising herself with how easy her reply came out.

"Good." Niall smiled. "Then why did you call?" he asked.

"Oh, well, that was before Preston," she hesitated deciding to omit that she had been lonely. "I was hoping to spend some time with you."

"I see." Her great-grandfather smiled, moving one hand to rest on her arm. He loved Sookie more than words could express. She had his beloved Einin's eyes and his son's smile. "I can't tonight," he regretfully admitted. His duties in Faery had kept him from being with her tonight, which is why he had sent the fairy. "But knowing how much these two days mean to you, I didn't want you to be alone today. This is why I sent Preston to you," he explained. "I'll return tomorrow and spend Christmas with you, if you'll let me."

"Really? Yes." Sookie's face beamed and her joy made Niall feel a deep sense of happiness.

"Yes," he said. "Now if you don't need me, I really do need to get back."

"Ok," she said. Niall leaned forward and kissed her on her forehead.

"Preston." Niall's tone made his name sound like an order. His smile had left his face, which worried Sookie.

"He doesn't have to go." Sookie's words came out hurried.

Niall looked at his great-granddaughter with curiosity. The fluctuation in her voice didn't escape him. There was a sense of protectiveness in the way she spoke her words, but it was more than that. The way her body turned. _"It wasn't possible," _Niall assured himself and brushed the thought aside. He told himself her reaction was a result of her overly passionate and fiercely independent manner; a fairy trait. Though humans possessed these qualities, it was the intensity with which Sookie exhibited these that were fairy.

"If he doesn't want to go," Sookie explained. "It's ok with me that he stays." She resisted the temptation to role her eyes at herself for stumbling over her words.

Niall was pleased that she was enjoying his gift. "I need to speak with Preston," he said gesturing to the young fairy.

"Ok." Sookie wasn't sure if she should step out of the room or not, but quickly, she realized she needn't bother. They were talking so low she couldn't even hear if she tried.

"Stay out of her bed," Niall demanded.

"I will stay out of her bed," Preston conceded.

"Think not, because you know who she is," Niall explained, "that this changes anything."

"I understand."

"Speak to no one about my great-granddaughter," Niall said. "And I'll be indebted to you."

"You have my word."

Sookie watched Preston nod his head several times and then whatever Niall had to say, he seemed to have said it. He turned toward her. "I'll see you tomorrow," Niall said. He smiled at her and gave her another hug before disappearing. Sookie had no idea what the two men had just said to each other. She stood for some time staring into the space where Niall had been standing.

"Sookie?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you ok?" Preston asked.

His question quickly reminded Sookie of what he had said to her before Niall appeared out of thin air. She didn't want Preston thinking that she would go through with his plans to seduce her. She didn't care how much her body was betraying her at the thought of being seduced by him. Her will was stronger than her body; _almost_.

"Just because I said you could stay," she blurted out; flames flickered in her ocean blue eyes. "It doesn't mean I'm gonna sleep with you. Are we clear?" Her voice was strong and unwavering.

Preston drew in a sharp breath. "Yes," he said mesmerized by her passion. A brilliant smile lit his handsome face. "_She's magnificent."_ He rested the palm of his hand over his heart. He wanted to love her if it was the last act he ever did.

"I only said what I did, so you wouldn't get in trouble on my account—"

A loud knock on the front door cut her off.

Preston and Sookie froze and stared at the door. They both hesitated for several seconds before they moved. Sookie reached out with her mind and noticed the void on the other side. Somehow she knew it was probably Bill.

"It's ok," she assured Preston. A quick look in the peephole confirmed that it was her ex. She couldn't be sore at him; after all, two werewolves had been howling. "Hi Bill," Sookie greeted him.

Bill was pleased to hear her so happy. "I heard menacing howls in this direction," he said.

"Is everything ok?" Preston asked. He came to stand behind Sookie. She turned her head to face his very warm and broad chest. Swallowing, she lifted her chin and answered him, "Yes." She really hoped Preston wouldn't pick up on the subtle ways she was certain her breathing and heart rate had changed at his nearness.

"Is this your man?" Bill asked glaring at Preston's half naked figure. Being a vampire, he noticed the changes in Sookie's respiration and pulse. Not only that, but he had had her blood; they were bonded and he could feel her passion for the man inside her house. In a blink he closed his side of the connection. _God help me,_ he didn't have to feel her emotions. He was jealous. Sookie recognized the look in Bill's eyes.

"We're fine Bill," she assured him. "There's nothing to worry about." Sookie was certain that Bill thought Preston was her lover, and a large part of her didn't care if he did.

"I smelled blood and—"

"I had a small altercation with a few shifters," Preston interjected. "But it's been handled. Sookie is safe." Bill didn't appreciate Preston's cavalier tone, or the fact that somehow he may have endangered Sookie.

"Thanks for checking on me." Sookie smiled at Bill. "It's been a long night."

"I understand." Bill's expression was glum. It pained him to see someone else making her so bright and cheery. "Goodnight Sookie."

"Goodnight," Preston and Sookie spoke over one another. Bill's eyes darted to Sookie and then to Preston. They both had glanced at each other; exchanging mutual smiles like love struck fools. Bill turned around and stepped off the porch. He wondered who this new man was and whether or not Eric knew. If he couldn't have Sookie, he found some comfort in knowing that neither could Eric.

"Was that your neighbor you told me about?"

"Yes," Sookie answered as she closed and locked the door. Bill heard and wondered what she had told her new lover about him. Irritated, Bill shook his head and headed back through the woods toward his house. ~


	5. 1: Getting Cozy

**Updated: **8/1/11

PART ONE

* * *

**_Getting Cozy_**

* * *

What had started out as a quiet day was ending quite hectically. Feeling overloaded, without a word, Sookie walked past Preston and went into her room and into her private bathroom. Preston watched her disappear. He sensed that she needed some time to think.

Under the shower, Sookie relaxed her mind, trying not to think about Preston and what he was doing at that moment in her house. It didn't work. After her shower and drying off, she rummaged through her drawer looking for the nicest pajamas she owned. Discarding a few options, she finally pulled out the sleeping gown that went with the robe she had offered Preston. It was probably too chilly to wear, but it was the nicest thing she had. Glancing in the mirror one more time, she stepped out into the hallway, mentally kicking herself for bothering to look nice for Preston.

"So what are you exactly?" she asked Preston. He was starting a fire, which she was grateful for since she felt a bit chilly in the light weight fabric and spaghetti straps.

Preston glanced up from the fireplace. His eyes trailed down the length of her gown. Though it covered her down to her ankles, the way her breast pressed against the thin fabric wreaked havoc on his imagination. His grip around the pole tightened. It took all the strength he had not to stand up and press her into his arms. He wondered if she would let him, or would she resist him? He tried not to think about that or about how soft she would feel against him. "I know that you're at least a fairy." Sookie's voice saved them. "I saw you transform," she explained. "Is that because you're part Were?" she asked still unable to fully reconcile the conundrum of what she had witnessed in her kitchen.

"No. I'm a full fairy." He drew his attention to the fire. Sookie watched him closely. The flames from the fireplace flickered warm light across his handsome face. "My family, we're gifted." He sounded proud. "We have the ability to transform."

"No kidding," she replied. "What all can you shift into?"

"Almost any creature," he answered. "It's our special gift. All fairies have different gifts. This happens to me mine."

"That's pretty amazing," she admitted. Watching him trying to sit with only a towel, Sookie wished she had something more comfortable for him to wear instead of Amelia's blue towel. Then again, she mused over how good he looked in just the towel. It was hard not to admire him sitting there on the floor leaning up against the chair with his legs out and crossed at his ankles. She let out a wistfully sounding breath.

"What made you doubt that I was a Were?" Preston asked.

"I'm a telepath."

His eyes widened. "Did you read my thoughts?" he asked.

"No," she admitted freely. "Your mind." She pointed her index finger at her head.

"I don't understand."

"When I first saw you in the woods, your mind gave off a smooth pattern," she explained. "It wasn't until I asked you what you were that I saw your brain pattern change."

"I see." Preston was fascinated. Humans sometimes exhibited unique gifts, and some fairies speculated it was the result of supernatural genetics in their DNA.

"I didn't know fairies could heal," Sookie admitted.

"We can heal from anything except from iron and lemon."

"Yeah, my cousin Claudia died from putting her hand in a bag that was lined with lemon juice." Preston was mortified. "That's why I don't keep lemons in the house, just in case, because of Niall and Claudine. My roommate, she doesn't have problems with lemons, but she's good about it and doesn't bring them into the house."

Over the next few hours Preston and Sookie settled into a comfortable companionship; talking and laughing. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or Preston, but she couldn't stop sharing. Niall had the same effect on her. She wondered if it was because he always seemed to listen with a refreshing lack of judgment. It wasn't that Niall always approved of her choices, especially her association with vampires. He would give her his advice, but he was never appalled or horrified by what she shared with him. Sookie was finding out that it was similar with Preston.

"So do you really live in Baton Rouge?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "I live above my shop."

"Oh." Her teeth chattered. The fire Preston had started when she got out of the shower, had burned out. "What kind…" her voice trailed off watching Preston stand up. "What are you doing?"

"You're cold," he answered. He'd noticed Sookie was shivering. He would have preferred to share his own warmth with her, but instead he disappeared into the kitchen. When Sookie brought him in, he had noticed she kept wood on the back porch. Moments later he came back with firewood. Sookie watched him as he worked to get the fire going again. When he was done, he went and stood in front of her. Sookie was taken back. He reached past her. She felt her insides tighten with anticipation. Her chest heaved with the sudden jolt of sensations that his nearness created in her. Closing her eyes she waited, but nothing happened. When she opened them, Preston was smiling at her. He pulled at the afghan draped across the back of the sofa. "Come," he said extending his free hand to her. "You should sit by the fire to warm up."

"Ok," she breathed; not daring to say any more for fear that her voice would betray her. She took his hand, letting Preston guide her. He sat her on the floor near the fire. Carefully, she tucked her feet under herself. Preston leaned over and draped the afghan around her. She held her breath and for a moment, she imagined digging her nails into his wonderful back. Slowly and as steadily as she could manage, she exhaled.

"Your roommate, is she a normal human?" Preston asked resuming his position on the floor opposite to her. His legs stretched out toward her. She liked that he was close.

"Yes," she answered him. "She practices witchcraft though." She said this with the same casualness she would have said,_ 'Yeah, but she snores at night_.'

"Is she the one responsible for the wards on your home?"

"You noticed?" she asked.

"Yes." Preston smiled. He was thrilled to be spending time with her and happy that they got along well.

"I was having some problems with some vampires, so she warded the house."

"Ah," Preston said. His tone was contemplative.

"I only have one vampire neighbor: Vampire Bill, but he's harmless." Sookie noticed the surprise in Preston's expression at her assessment of Bill. "He has three vampire guests who aren't from around these parts," she explained. "I don't know them, and you were bleeding." Preston nodded his head. "Not just that but vampires seem to think I'm irresistible. Not a good combination. They always seem to want me for my blood, sex, or both."

Preston started laughing. It was a nice sound, which over the last several hours she was quickly becoming attached to. "You're exceptionally valuable and highly desired by them," he explained. "They can only feed off of a fairy, and typically can't satiate their sexual needs since they tend to drain us before they get to that part, but," he emphasized, "with you, they get to enjoy double the pleasure."

"I guess so." Sookie didn't like the imagery that Preston's observations had on her mind.

"So is that the vampire trouble that has led you to have your witch ward your house?"

It was a good thing Amelia wasn't home. Sookie knew that she would've rolled her eyes at being referred to as _her_ witch. "Let me just say," Sookie warned him. "A vampire tried to burn me alive in my house, two vampires are always showing up to jockey for who gets to be my lover," she was enjoying Preston's expression, "and the vampire king of Nevada staged a takeover of Louisiana in my front yard."

"Then the wards are a good idea," he said. "You might want to consider warding your property from fairies," he suggested.

"I was thinking about that, but it's been quiet for the last few months, so I didn't think it was necessary." Sookie was beaming. Sitting so closely to the fire, her complexion was rosier. Preston's eyes were fixed on her mouth. "But seeing that you showed up with Huey and Dewey, I think I'll have Amelia do that when she gets back."

Preston smiled at her reference to Ralph and Curt. "The staging of Niall's ruse would have definitely been a challenge if your property had been warded."

"You know you're crazy for letting them beat you," she said.

"Well." Preston had been waiting all evening for her to bring the subject up again. "The injuries had to look convincing. Believe me I didn't enjoy it, but it was necessary," he explained.

"So you let yourself be beaten to a pulp, so you could have sex with me?" Sookie wasn't sure whether to be flattered or appalled. She decided to lean toward being flattered. Preston hadn't even known her, but he wanted her enough to let two huge Weres jump him.

"Well," Preston hesitated, "Niall didn't send me for that purpose."

"He didn't?"

"I was told to make you happy. The back-story of being hurt and hunted was Niall's idea. The rest was me," he confessed. Sookie didn't understand how he had known she hadn't had sex in a long time. "Niall had brought me to Bon Temps, so that I could see you," he continued. "He thought if I saw you, it would put me at ease. You were leaving your place of work after working all day. That is when he shared with me details about your life."

"Oh." She hadn't noticed Niall was nearby.

"Though the possibility of making love to you was a wonderful prospect," his admission made Sookie's heart sputter, "I would have to be honest, the consequences of not obeying Niall was a great motivator in allowing myself to be beaten."

"Well, you've never had sex with me before," she teased. Almost instantly she surprised herself. She'd never been so bold with a man before. Her cheeks reddened. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"Don't be." Preston's smooth voice was low. "I enjoyed it," he admitted.

Sookie averted her eyes. The intensity of his gaze startled her and excited her. She wanted him to reach over and take her in his arms. Though she told herself earlier that she would _never_, she wished he would. Wished he would kiss her; make love to her. _No,_ she reprimanded herself. It was a good thing, she thought, that he couldn't read her mind. Avoiding his eyes for several moments, her control gradually returned and she raised her eyes to meet his. Even then, her heart gave a little jolt. She was in so much trouble. From her position opposite of him, she studied his handsome features.

He was the only fairy she knew who she wasn't related to. Preston was just as beautiful as her fairy cousin, Claude. Claude was on par with men like Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp. _"On second thought,"_ she mused, Brad and Johnny had nothing on Claude or Preston.

A sudden realization dampened her spirit. ~


	6. 1: New Sensations

**Updated: **8/1/11

PART ONE

* * *

**New Sensations**

* * *

The possibility that Preston had more than his good looks in common with Claude came as a shock to Sookie. Especially, since he was considering seducing her. She was open minded, but not that open. Privately, she moaned at the irony that finally when she met someone who she got along with and that she was attracted to and who she couldn't hear that he would turn out to bat for the team.

"What is it Sookie?" Preston asked. His voice pulled Sookie from her reverie.

"Nothing." She blushed. "I am...it's just that...other than Niall." She took a deep breath. How do you ask someone what their preference is without actually putting the person on the spot? "I don't know any other fairy males except for my cousin Claude and…" her voice trailed off.

"No." Preston smiled realizing what had caused her countenance to fall. "I'm nothing like Claude."

"You're not?" Sookie wistfully asked.

"I'm not," he assured her.

"That's good." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Maybe that's why your mind gives off a slightly different color."

"What do you mean?"

"Every mind gives off an energy that I can see," she explained.

"Interesting; what does my mind look like?" he asked.

Sookie adjusted her position on the floor feeling more confident in her skin. She stretched her legs out, similar to Preston's. The chair and sofa were close enough that like Preston's feet, her feet were within easy reach of his hands.

"It's smooth, thick, and the color of amber," she explained absently rocking her feet so that every few seconds her toes glided along Preston's thigh. Through the towel, a sweet current of desire traveled up his leg. Her small feet were making it hard for him to concentrate on her sweet mouth. "People's minds also have a feeling and a flavor." Preston looked at her inquisitively. He wondered how her lips would taste. "I've never spoken to anyone quite this honestly about my quirk."

"Quirk?" he asked. He didn't agree with her self assessment. "It's a good gift."

"It's a dangerous one to have here," she pointed out. "Not in my home, but here in my world. Other people—vampires—they would kill me if they knew." Suddenly Sookie realized what she had done. She'd in so many words confessed that she sometimes could hear vampires. Her eyes widened; frightened of the consequences. Talking with Preston was so disarming; she didn't realize what she said until it was too late.

"Niall and your kin would hunt down and kill them and those attached to them," Preston said very matter-of-fact. What he didn't say to her was that he would hunt down the blood-sucking bastard who would even _think_ about hurting her.

"Yes." Sookie nodded thinking it was extreme, but reactions among supernaturals generally were. "I would still be dead, and I like breathing."

"I completely understand." His expression was gentle. "Your secret is safe with me."

Sookie breathed a sigh of relief. It was as if the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders. It was no longer just her frightening secret to carry alone. A part of her felt guilty and selfish for being glad to have someone to help her shoulder the burden. "If Niall trusts you to be around me and in my home," she said. "Then I'll trust you." Sookie didn't understand the depth and scope of her gift, but she was certain Preston would never tell anyone.

"Thank you Sookie." Preston felt honored. He wanted her to trust him. Absently, he touched her foot. She wasn't expecting him to touch her. Her breath hitched from the overwhelming sensation. She could see Preston's chest moving up and down matching her own frantic breaths. He squeezed her foot, massaging it, slowly. It felt like his fingers were touching her entire body. Preston glanced up and watched her face relax with pleasure. Hearing and seeing her respond to his touch emboldened him. He glanced down at his hand and allowed his fingers to glide to her ankle, lengthening his stokes as he deepened the pressure. Her skin was softer than he had imagined.

"What do other supernatural creatures look like?" Preston asked; his attention on her body where he was touching her.

"Vampire minds," she breathed. The sensations from his fingers tracing the contours of her bare skin were intoxicating. She fought against the temptation to close her eyes and moan. "Vampires feel like a pit of snakes." She spoke softly, struggling to concentrate on the words she was forming. "Cold and slick," she mumbled. The way Preston was making her feel at that moment was far from cold or slick. "Moving back and forth…across my mind." Her breathing grew shallower. "It's a very unusual feeling."

"Fascinating," Preston said admiring her small ankles. "What about shifters?"

"Warm," which was how he was making her feel, "like hot scarlet liquid," she breathed in deeply as he trailed his fingers past her ankle and barely inching up to the bottom of her calf, "thick like mud and rough like sand."

"Me? What do I feel like?" His hand and arm were on fire. The reality of touching her surpassed all his dreams.

"I don't know," she admitted feeling her pulse quicken as his hand glided more confidently; claiming her calf with his big hand. "I couldn't…." She felt light headed as he caressed her; massaging. Her whole body tingled, screaming, _more. _When she hadn't been able to read him earlier that evening she was initially disappointed, but now she was so glad she wasn't able to. "Your mind is silent. But," she paused; her eyes locked on Preston's. She felt the hem of her sleeping gown glide up her leg as his fingers moved to the back of her knees. He traced small circles. "I can sense your feelings."

"Maybe it's my gift."

Sookie nodded. "It could be." Her voice came out velvety and despite all her efforts to not whimper or moan she did. "Mmm," she breathed. Under his firm and confident touch, she felt her earlier resolve evaporate. She closed her eyes.

"What else could it be Sookie?" He wanted to see more of her legs.

"It…seems," she whispered. Her eyes were heavy as she watched her gown moving up her leg as his hand slowly inched its way closer to where her body was screaming for him to touch her. She felt the room spinning. The sensations from his touch were overriding all her other senses; including her thoughts.

"It seems like what?" he asked. Her soft skin made him want to feel the rest of her body under him. At the thought, he vibrated with lust. There was no one else he wanted, but her. He didn't want to frighten her away, so he kept this confession to himself.

"Logical…" Sookie's voice trailed off as Preston's hands slid from the back of her knee to the inside of her thigh. "Jesus," she murmured incoherently. She drew in a breath, slightly parting her legs. He massaged the lower portion of her thigh. She was throbbing so much between her legs it almost hurt. She wanted to cry as Preston rubbed her sensitive skin; lengthening his strokes one measured movement at a time. _Please,_ she quietly begged. She wanted him to go higher.

"Logical?" Preston asked knowing that he would soon reach a place that would cause any man, human or not, to go insane. He told Niall he would stay out of her bed, but not away from the world that was hidden between her creamy silk legs. He'd never wanted anyone as much as he wanted; needed her.

Sookie's eyes locked on Preston's. She watched him as he moved to his knees, closing the distance between them. His hand seductively moved between the back of her knee and up her thigh; teasing her with the anticipation of ecstasy.

"Preston," she whispered as he leaned closer. She wanted him to kiss her.

"Yes?" he breathed breaking their gaze to watch her mouth. Since the first time he saw her, he'd dreamt of her mouth. Fantasized about the softness of her lips and the things he wanted to do to them.

"I really…" she stopped. He leaned forward and finally closed the small gap remaining between them. At first he brushed his lips against hers; his other hand gently touching her cheek. Tentatively, they kissed, testing the sensations. "We don't really know each…" she kissed him again. His lips were soft and firm. "What about…?" He pulled her bottom lip between his, lightly sucking it. It wasn't enough. Sookie parted her lips welcoming him inside her.

Confidently, Preston tasted her with his tongue. The air twirling around her; she'd never been kissed by a fairy like this. Her mouth erupted with new sensations and flavors. Slow and purposefully he stroked and tasted her mouth. She filled his mouth with her soft muted moans. The pleasure of his kiss was concentrated in her mouth, but she felt everything he was doing to her over her entire body.

Her fingers laced through his hair drawing him closer to her. She wanted more. Accepting Sookie's invitation, Preston deepened the kiss. He was sure he sensed the divine, the Summerlands in her embrace. Sookie was more exquisite than all of his dreams combined. Her mouth; her tongue; were a wonderland; an endless pool of warm silky pleasure. He moved between her legs and she parted the way for him. His other hand, the one that wasn't cupping the back of her neck, glided up her thigh. Her skin was so soft; so warm. He wanted to ravish her.

Sookie reached her arms around his back. He felt amazing. Each kiss and caress wasn't enough. Preston broke their kiss, trailing wet moist kissed along her jaw and down her neck. He nibbled the sensitive skin beneath her ear. A strangled whimper flowed from between her lips. Her breathing grew louder, shallower, and rapid. Her soft moans that followed were all the encouragement he needed. Her returned to her mouth and plundered her with his kiss. His strong hands slid beneath her gown on either side and he drew her toward him until she pressed against him. Holding her by her hips he guided her to the floor laying her underneath him. A sharp breath rushed out from deep inside Sookie's chest.

Preston drew back enough to see her beneath him. The long waves of her wheat and golden colored hair framed her face. Her eyes, the color and depth of the great oceans, were glazed with desire. Preston was in awe. Only a poet could do her justice. "You're so beautiful."

She could have said the same thing about him. "What happens tomorrow?" she asked. Her voice was thick with longing.

"Your great-grandfather is coming for Christmas."

"That's not what I meant." As much as she wanted this to happen, she also didn't want to feel let down tomorrow.

"Niall said I wasn't to have contact with you after tonight."

"What?" she snapped. Instantly, a different emotion began to build up inside of her, replacing her lust. She pressed the palms of her hands against his chest. Preston saw the change in her eyes. "So what, you thought you would have your fun and move on?" She pushed harder against him. "Get off of me Mister," she rasped.

"It wouldn't be that way." He tried to calm her, which by the expression on her face, he knew didn't work. With some coordination he moved to free her from underneath him. The effect of their kissing was evident on his hard body.

"Put your towel on," she cried out pulling herself off the floor. "I think you should go." She stood up straightening her back. Preston recognized the stubborn streak. Not that he had any doubt before, but she definitely was Niall's progeny. He watched her march to the front door and open it. She wanted to kick herself for letting Preston weaken her earlier resolve not to sleep with him. With a sweeping motion of her hand she said, "Out."

Preston secured the towel around his waist and walked toward her. Feeling her legs would betray her, Sookie tightened her grip on the door knob. "This isn't over," he told her with a smile, which upset Sookie to no end. Preston's eyes settled on her damp swollen lips. That mouth, he thought, was the sweetest place he'd ever known. The knowledge filled his chest with an ache. Unannounced and unexpectedly Preston wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her.

Despite herself, Sookie's arms went around his neck. He felt wonderful to her. A soft erotic moan echoed in her chest. Before she could swim to the surface and protest, Preston released her. She swayed. He held her by her waist for a fraction before releasing her. He enjoyed seeing the intoxicating effect his kiss had on her.

"You're amazing," he said.

"This." She hated how breathless her voice sounded. "This doesn't change anything." Her words came out weak that she doubted their validity.

Preston walked out, stepping down the stairs and onto the lawn. Sookie watched, longing to tell him not to go, ever, but she would rather die than give him the satisfaction. After all, she wasn't the kind of girl who took a roll in the sack for the sake of it; at least not at that moment.

Preston turned to see her seething at him. The night breeze gently rustled her hair.

"_She's wonderful_," he freely confessed. "Sookie Stackhouse," he called out at the top of his lungs, "I love you."

Sookie gave him a questioning look, her brow arching. This hadn't been the reaction she had expected. She was now convinced, "_he's crazy."_ Then she wondered if it was a fairy trait. She bit her lip and closed the door.

Inside her house, she leaned against the door, and smiled. ~


	7. 1: Christmas

PART ONE

* * *

**Christmas**

* * *

With her telepathy, she watched from inside her house as Preston's signature disappeared. He was gone, but the effect of his presence was still keenly felt. His words, _"This isn't over,"_ echoed in her mind. A glimmer of hope that just maybe, she would see him again, warmed her heart. She stepped away from the door, and went through her bedtime routine. She tried not to think about him, or how empty the house felt without him. But her efforts were futile. After draping the afghan on the back of the sofa, she turned the last of the lights off and headed to bed.

In the privacy and darkness of her bedroom, Sookie laid on her back; restless. She was acutely aware of how it had felt to lay beneath Preston, the warm pressure of his masculine body against hers.

Her thighs hummed, and she ached with her need for release. She could still pick up his scent on her skin, which only increased her frustration.

"_What the heck,"_ she surrendered. Rolling over and reaching into the drawer of her bedside table, she found her small sinfully unwrapped gift. Over the next several minutes she safely explored her lust for Preston. She imagined the feel of his hands undressing her, his mouth kissing her, and his hands touching her. Her fantasy drove her to the edge. With his name on her lips, she found her freedom. Temporarily sated and relaxed, she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

The next morning she woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. It was Christmas.

Sookie made her way into the living room and turned the Christmas tree lights on. With a slice of banana nut bread and coffee in hand, she wrapped herself in her Gran's afghan and settled comfortably on the sofa. She inhaled softly; Preston's aroma lingered on the afghan, and she felt an ache in her chest. The memory of Preston kissing her flashed across her mind. With a groan she was certain she needed to take up a hobby, _"Maybe jogging."_

She figured she should wash the afghan to remove all traces of him, but she hesitated. It was the only tangible proof she had that their time together was real. Thankfully, Sam, Amelia, and even Jason called, distracting her from thoughts of Preston. As the afternoon rolled by, she placed the small turkey she'd unthawed the day before into the oven, fixed a casserole of sweet potatoes, and a few other dishes. While that all cooked, Sookie decided now was as good as any to start her new hobby.

With her sneakers on, she headed out by foot down the gravel drive way. Her efforts to not daydream about Preston failed. She slipped a few times. Each instance she imaged what sharing her life with someone like him would be like. _"Stop it,"_ she scolded herself. She would never see him again, so there wasn't any sense fantasying about something that would never be. It would only make her feel sad. Her back straightened, and she pressed on at a punishing pace.

A few hours later, showered and the table set with a simple Christmas feast, the doorbell rang. Niall showed up for Christmas as promised. A bright smile wrinkled Niall's features at seeing Sookie's expression. His arms were loaded with gifts.

"You shouldn't have," beamed Sookie.

"Is it not tradition to exchange gifts on Christmas?" he asked.

"Yes, it is," she helped him with the gifts and placed them with the others under the tree as he asked about her wellbeing.

"I forgot," she absently interrupted their conversation, "thank you for sending Preston," said Sookie.

"You're most welcome."

"How do you know him?" she asked. She knew from the night before why he sent Preston, but he never mentioned how he knew him.

"What is the term?" rhetorically asked Niall trying to remember the human word. "He is Enda's great nephew." Sookie nodded her head remembering that Enda was her great-grandfather's third wife, which meant that she and Preston were only connected through that marriage and not by blood. _That's good._

"Did you know him when he was a kid?" she asked. Niall shrugged.

"He was like any other child," he recalled. When he courted Enda, Preston was still a boy. He lived with his kin, so he didn't see the young fairy often. Sookie tried to dig for more details out of him, but Niall had very little memories of him.

"Well, you know," said Sookie, "he's able to transform," her exuberance didn't go unnoticed by her great-grandfather. "I saw him change. It was the most elegant transformation I'd ever seen." Niall acknowledged her recollection, and redirected their conversation - again. This was something he had to do several times as their evening progressed; dinner, presents, and dessert.

Sookie basked in complete happiness. Since meeting her great-grandfather, she had only been able to see him a handful of times. His many responsibilities didn't allow him to visit as often as Sookie would have liked, so she was thrilled. She had thought he would come for an hour, and instead he stayed the entire evening. Her spirits were the highest they'd been since her Gran had died.

Over the course of their evening together; dinner, gifts, eggnog, and conversation, Niall lovingly studied his great-granddaughter. All night she was glowing, and he was certain it was due to more than his visit. They lingered at her front door and promises were made for another visit soon.

"Merry Christmas, Sookie," he said, and kissed her on the cheek. It was late, and it was time to return to Faery.

"Merry Christmas great-grandfather," Sookie hugged him.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening," Niall kissed his great-granddaughter again and hugged her again. He enjoyed her delightful and lively company. He loved Sookie very much. Her welfare was often on his mind. It had been a few months since she last kept company with vampires, which pleased him greatly. He had disliked seeing the dark circles under her eyes that use to occasionally adorn her face.

"When will I see you again?" she asked looking for at least an estimate. Sookie looked forward to his visits. His responsibilities as a prince, businessman, and husband, kept him busy.

"I'll try to visit in a few weeks," he said. Sookie nodded, told him again how much it meant to her having him over, and watched as he disappeared into thin air.

Moments later Niall appeared inside his New York office suite.

"Your majesty," Reece, Niall's personal assistant, stood and bowed. Niall nodded acknowledging his loyal servant.

"Was my absence noticed?" asked Niall.

"I believe not," said Reece. He'd been patiently sitting inside Niall's office waiting on his master's return, and managing the multitude of petitions for Niall's attention. "How was your visit sire?"

"It went well," a bright smile lit Niall's face. "She spoke much of Preston."

"I see," Reece nodded his head in understanding. He watched Niall disappear behind the glass blocks that screened off the private area of the office. "Well," Reece commented, his demeanor all the while refined, "it was a possibility that they would form a bond," he pointed out the obvious.

"I know," said Niall feeling torn between his great-granddaughter's happiness, and his sons wishes. "Fintan didn't want her in our world," Niall washed his hands and face under the running water.

Regret still lingered in his heart. He suffered much when he discovered Fintan had been killed. Niall tried everything to protect him, but it wasn't enough. There had been many nights in the beginning that he laid in bed, going over every detail of the days before his son had gone missing. Niall, like so many other parents, had learned the harsh lesson that there was only so much that a parent could do to safeguard their children; the rest was up to them. _"Still…"_quietly thought Niall. Fintan was stubborn, and Niall felt he should have bound him in chains and locked him away…away from danger. In retrospect, Niall would have preferred his beloved son alive and hating him.

"What will you do sire?" asked Reece pulling Niall from his sad reverie. He turned the water off and reappeared from behind the glass blocks with a towel in his hands. He stood in the space between the office and the private accommodations so that he could see Reece.

"I told the young fairy not to contact her further…" his words trailed off. He knew that if Sookie's happiness hung on this one thing, he couldn't deny her.

"But you think he'll contact her," softly stated Reece. Niall let out an audible sigh answering Reece with a single nod of his head. "Are you sure of his attachment?"

"No, but I am sure of hers," said Naill drying his hands with the towel. Though Sookie didn't confess having feelings for the fairy, the fact that her conversation during their visit often deviated to Preston and his visit with her, made Niall certain that she had inclined her heart toward him.

"If the reports are true that her beauty is unprecedented, how could he not be?" replied Reece. Niall tossed the hand towel. It landed safely on the countertop behind the glass blocks.

"The reports do not do justice to my great-granddaughter," said Niall. His voice filled with pride.

"If he is anything like you sire," said Reece remembering a younger Niall, and how he had defied his father to be with the human, Einin. "He will find a way to see her again."

"Summon him," said Niall stepping off the landing and walking toward the sofa. Reece gave him a questioning look. "Don't worry Reece, I plan to tell him what my father told me," Niall smiled stretching his arm over the back of the sofa. A flicker of enjoyment flashed in Reece's eyes at the memory.

Oberon, Niall's father, was furious over Niall's attachment to Einin. Repeatedly he reminded the young prince of the inevitable outcome of his union with a human; she would age and die, while Niall wouldn't. But Niall was so in love he could overlook that fact. When this tactic didn't work, Oberon reminded the young prince of his obligation to produce a pureblood heir and until that happened he was not free to decide his own course. Reece still remembers Oberon's words, ""_I don't care if you don't love Branna. You will marry her, bed her, give her a child, and then you are free to go.""_

"Do you have a faelith in mind for him?" asked Reece thinking that Niall perhaps had chosen a female fairy for the young fairy.

"Oh, no," said Niall crossing one leg over his knee. "His station doesn't require an heir, but he does have an obligation to his kin to produce a pureblood offspring."

"Well, he is young," stated Reece. "He will have plenty of time for that." Niall nodded his head in agreement.

"What did I miss?" asked Niall, his attention turning to official matters.

"There were five requests for an audience," started Reece. Over the next hour and a half they reviewed the agenda for tomorrow before Niall dismissed Reece and returned home. His wife, Enda, was asleep in their bed. He quietly readied himself and slid alongside her.

"How did your visit go?" she asked. Her voice was gentle and sleepy.

"Perfect," Niall kissed his wife drawing her close to him. "I wish you to meet her." Enda let out a soft breath.

"I know my love," she said turning in Naill's arms to face him. "I would like to meet her. If you could only bring her for a visit," her expression saddened. "You know how much I fear their world. It's dangerous."

"I know," Niall kissed his wife. "If I can convince the others, then one day I will bring her."

"I would like that," Enda smiled. Knowing that it meant a lot to her husband, she wished to one day meet his great-granddaughter. Enda understood Niall's attachment to his human child. His love and attachment to Einin was strongly entrenched, and Sookie was all that remained of his love for Einin. When she died, it left Niall a changed man. Enda was only a child, but she remembered the sadness in Niall's eyes. It would be centuries before his heart would mend.

As these things have a tendency of happening, Enda reached maturity and was one day presented to Niall. Her gentle eyes caught Niall's attention. That evening, their friendship began, and it was that evening that Niall's broken heart had begun to heal. She understood him; understood that his heart was a delicate creature.

Tenderly, Enda kissed Niall. She cared deeply for her gentle hearted husband. "I love you Niall," she kissed him again. Her hands claimed the familiar terrain of her husband's body. Niall's breath caught in the back of his chest. Sleep would have to wait.

That evening, as Niall enjoyed his wife's embrace, a royal messenger appeared at Preston's home in Baton Rouge summoning him. ~

**End of Part One**

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**A/N:** Seven chapters I think was a great start. Part Two is coming next week. Make sure to tune in, read, and review. :D


	8. 2: New Relationship

**PART TWO**  
**_New Relationship_  
**

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A few days after Christmas, Sookie found herself happily back at work. She stowed away her purse in Sam's office and slipped her order pad and a pencil into the front pocket of her apron. She hadn't been scheduled to work, but Holly who was, had been visiting family in Colorado for the holidays and was now snowed in and stranded in Denver.

With her purse safely towed away and apron secured, she walked down the hallway that connected the office, store room, and bathrooms. From the hallway she could see Sam behind the bar. She waved to him when he looked up. He mouthed "Thank you" to her.

Merlotte's was packed with the post holiday lunch crowd. If it had been slower, he and Arlene could have managed it. He was just relieved Sookie was home when he called. He always could count on her to help out in a bind. As soon as Sookie stepped out from the hallway, she scanned the bar looking for Arlene to let her know she was there.

Her heart sank when she saw a group from the Fellowship of the Sun. She recognized them instantly by their T-shirts. Sookie despised them. They were intolerant and ignorant. Much to her chagrin, they were sitting in Holly's usual section. Arlene turned and made eye contact with Sookie. Waving her hand, Sookie pointed toward Holly's section. Arlene's face was set hard. She curtly nodded her head.

At one point in their acquaintance, Sookie had considered her a friend. But since Arlene became mixed up with the Fellowship of the Sun, she'd changed. She was hateful and plain rude. Sookie shook the thoughts aside, and made her rounds to all the customers in her section, refreshing drinks, making sure everyone had enough food and condiments, leaving the Fellowship of the Sun "_asses_," she mumbled under her breath, for last.

"Can I get you a refill?" Sookie pasted a smile on her face. They each gave her a hard stare. Thanks to Arlene and her big mouth, they knew her as the fangbanger with the unnatural peculiarities. And these were the kindest words they were thinking in relation to Sookie. Though she was use to hearing unkind thoughts, it still stung every time.

"We don't care to be served by a vampire's bitch," mumbled the thin man next to the window.

"I'm sorry—," Sookie's tone was sharp.

"We suddenly lost our appetites," snickered the round man. It hurt, but she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of cracking.

"Just give us our ticket." Sookie reached into her pocket and pulled out their ticket placing it on the table. The men threw down some bills and stood up to leave.

"I'll get you your change," she said.

"Don't bother." The three men stood up and left, but not before saying good-bye to Arlene.

"Jerks," Sookie whispered picking up the money. They left just enough to cover their meal with only a few cents left over for a tip.

Not many people thought well of her. Some thought she was a freak, and others considered her white trash. She wasn't sure what was harder. Mean thoughts or mean words. Sookie swallowed the lump in her throat threatening to make her cry as she walked the money to the register behind the bar.

"You alright Sookie?" Sam asked. He only heard the tail end of the conversation, but what he picked up was enough to know that if they hadn't left on their own accord, he would have asked them to leave. Sookie smiled brightly and nodded her head not answering his question. She knew she would start crying. Instead she went and did another round of her tables.

Sookie put her guard up, blocking out all the thoughts around her that tried to pass through her brain. It took a lot of energy and focus for her to do this, but she didn't want to have to listen to unwanted thoughts. Luckily, she didn't get any orders wrong, and her tables kept her busy enough that she didn't have time for a pity party of one. A few hours or so later, salt and pepper shakers and napkin holders refilled, she felt like herself again.

"Hey Sam," smiled Sookie handing him a ticket and a large bill. "Can you give me change?"

"Sure thing," said Sam. "Thanks for helping out today."

"I'm just glad I was able to help," said Sookie.

"Wow," gaped Arlene capturing Sam and Sookie's attention. They both looked over at her and then in the direction she was drooling in.

Sookie's heart leapt and sputtered.

It was Preston looking human and absolutely tantalizing. She spun around facing the bar. It was a knee jerk reaction. Her cheeks reddened. She expected never to see him again. Instantly, her thoughts went to the night he kissed her. The memory made her twitch in deep and private ways. He was an amazing kisser; toe curling, mouth watering. His kiss was the kind that made a woman forget her name.

"You alright Sookie?" asked Sam. Her expression bordered between panic and giddiness. Sam looked over again at the man sitting at the booth, and then back at Sookie. He hadn't noticed anything unusual about the guy. "Sookie?" Sam waved his hand in front of her. "Breath," he teased.

"Sorry." Sookie gave him a shy smile. She was visibly affected by Preston's appearance.

"What a looker," whistled Arlene.

"Women," mumbled Sam. "Here you go Sookie." He handed her the change she had asked for.

"Thanks Sam." Sookie hauled in a breath, quickly taking an inventory of herself. The next instance she scolded herself for caring what she looked like. "_He's nobody,"_ she tried to convince herself. She turned and though she tried not to, she couldn't help but look up at him.

Preston smiled and nodded. _"Oh help me Jesus,"_ she prayed. Sookie turned and nervously walked over to her waiting customers, and deposited their change. For the last two days, she had worked really hard not to think about him. It didn't help that every time she saw her Gran's afghan, she remembered him.

From his seat, Preston had a clear view of Sookie. He watched her as she weaved between tables, her hips swaying, and her hair up in a pony tail bouncing as she moved. From a few stolen glances at Preston, Sookie knew he was watching her. Each time, she willed herself not to blush. She felt awkward about what she was wearing, how she was walking, and how she was breathing.

Self consciously, she approached the table where Preston was sitting. If Sookie didn't know better, she would have sworn she had stepped into a movie. Her forehead and underarms were damp. _"Breath,"_ she reminded herself. The customers in her area faded into the background leaving only Preston in focus. From her scalp to her toes, she tingled.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, and despite herself she admired how nice he looked in his new hair cut. It used to drape like chocolate silk over his shoulders. Now it touched the back of his neck. "_Stop noticing," she _silently reprimanded herself. But it was difficult for her not to. He looked good; gorgeous enough to be on one of those magazine covers like _GQ_.

"I wanted a hamburger." His smile convinced Sookie that it should be illegal.

"Serious." One of her brows arched and she gave him a crooked smile.

"I wanted to see you," he answered. A few thoughts raced across Sookie's mind. For one, why did someone who looked like he'd just walked off a modeling shoot be interested in her? Not only that, but he was a pureblood fairy. She'd always figured purebloods would just view her as a lowly by-product of their _wonder-fulness_; nothing more.

"Niall said you weren't to contact me," she reminded him. He had told himself the same thing before opening the door into Merlotte's.

"Would you like me to leave?" he asked. _"Say yes. For my sake, please say yes."_

Just the other day he had been summoned to Niall's court. As protocol had dictated he showed up dressed in his proper court attire. When he arrived, to his surprise, it was only Niall. His court had been dismissed, which was unusual and it had made Preston nervous.

Standing before the Prince, he had been reminded of his obligation to his people. However, the reminder had the same effect on Preston as it had on Niall when he was young and in love with Einin. Preston was sure he didn't have to reach too far to find the reason for Niall's reminder. This gave him a flicker of hope that maybe Sookie felt something for him. But before he could ponder that thought, Niall had launched into a conversation about Sookie. "My great-granddaughter hasn't requested an audience with you, has she?" asked the Prince.

"No, she has not," answered Preston.

"Being connected to me as you are through Enda," explained Niall. "Any attention you might give to a human, I believe, would not go unnoticed by my enemies; especially, during these challenging times." The Prince paused. "You do understand that my enemies would not hesitate to use her to get to me?"

"I understand," said Preston.

"Sookie means a great deal to me. I have taken great care not to draw attention to her existence," explained Niall. "If it's within my power I would withhold nothing from Sookie that would ensure both her safety and happiness. Are we clear?"

"Yes, your grace," hesitated Preston. Though he understood what Niall had said, he was unsure of Niall's full meaning.

"Sookie's safety is important to me; as is her happiness," said Niall. "Until I know differently of these things I've spoken, do not contact my great-grandchild." Niall had purposefully not mentioned which of his great-grandchildren he was referring to at that moment, for he had a few through his marriage with Enda.

"Nothing less would be expected," said Preston.

He knew that Niall's words were law, and if he knew what was good for him, he would have stayed as far away from Sookie as possible. Yet, his feet led him to her, as if he had left something with her that he needed back.

With a deep breath he had opened the door into Merlotte's, which now he saw as a confirmation that he had a death wish. But_ it wasn't too late._ He could get up and he could leave, and that would be the end of it. He would just have to stand; put one foot in front of the other and walk out.

Silently though, he prayed that Sookie wouldn't turn him away.

He watched her lovely face as thoughts raced across it. In the days that he had observed her, he knew she was unattached, and he was glad for it. Only thing was that, he wanted her attached to him, if she was agreeable.

Looking into his handsome face, Sookie hesitated to answer him. She was more than glad to see him. Truth was that she was downright ecstatic. But she also didn't want to be disappointed, again. It'd only been a few months since her relationship with Quinn had ended. Maybe it was too soon, and then maybe it was time for her to move on. Granted, she hadn't wanted to be fancy-free, but she was single now, and Preston it would seem was interested.

"No," she admitted. "Don't go." Preston hadn't realized he was holding his breath. "But," said Sookie and he felt the tension return. "What are you really doing here?" she asked. Her voice was emphatic. Though she couldn't think of anyone in the bar who knew her great-grandfather, what if Claudine dropped in? Did she know him? And would she tell Niall? Even worse, what if Niall decided to pay her a visit at work? After all, he'd done so a few times before.

"I told you it wasn't over," he pointed out. Sookie's breath quivered at the memory.

"Well," she paused not sure what to say. "I didn't think you meant it."

"Usually when I say something," he said gently, "I mean it." Sookie hated how he was turning her into Jell-O.

"So what's your big plan now?" she asked sarcastically. She figured when in doubt go on the offensive. "Are you going to seduce me right here?"

"If it'll put you in the mood why not?" he grinned. Sookie's heart raced.

"Very funny," she snickered, and despite her effort not to, she blushed.

"Would you like to try?" he asked suddenly feeling shy.

"Here?" her voice squeaked. She felt herself turn several shades redder. Preston started chuckling. It took Sookie all of a few seconds to realize she'd jumped to a conclusion too quickly. She hadn't quite understood his question. Expectantly she held her breath waiting for Preston to clarify.

"I really don't want to have this conversation here," said Preston glancing toward the bar. They had an audience. Preston stood up.

"Wait," she pleaded. Anxiety suddenly swept through her. She was afraid she'd never see him again. "I'll take my break. There's a swing in the back. I'll meet you there."

"Ok," smiled Preston. Sookie watched him leave. She turned her attention to the few tables she had in her section and made sure they didn't need anything.

"Sam," Sookie smiled laying on the charm. "Is it okay if I take my break now?"

"What was that all about?" he asked gesturing to the booth where Preston had been sitting.

"He had an appointment he didn't want to be late to," she lied. She'd never lied to Sam before. Yes, she withheld information from him, but she never had lied directly to him.

"Sure," his brow lifted. "I'll keep an eye on your tables."

"Thanks Sam," Sookie smiled. Coming around the bar she kissed him on his cheek. It was all it took to soften him.

A quick trip to the bathroom, she patted down a few stray strands of hair, and made sure she looked decent. Satisfied that she couldn't do much else, she stepped outside. Preston was already on the swing. She took several slow and steadying breaths as she walked toward him.

"So what is it you wanted to try?" she asked as she sat next to him.

"You and me," said Preston.

"Oh," she breathed, her insides did a summersault. "Well…what's to say once you seduce me, you'll leave with no word?"

"There isn't," he said somberly. "What's to say when you get upset with me you won't throw me out again?" Sookie grinned.

"I don't know," Sookie bite her lower lip.

"It would seem we're both in the same boat," Preston said.

"I guess so." As much as she was scared of trusting someone again, she couldn't help wanting to say _"Yes!"._

After a short silence Sookie continued. "I've never been with a fairy before," she said softly.

She knew that it was physically possible. After all her grandfather and her dad were proof that _it _was possible. It was also apparent that they could love. She figured Fintan must have loved her Gran Adele enough to accept that he'd only ever be second in her life. She suddenly felt sad for him. The thought of loving someone so much that you could be happy in just having stolen moments with them was such a foreign idea to Sookie.

Each second that she pondered on this, she realized that Fintan probably wasn't completely happy, but what choice did he have? If he loved and wanted her Gran enough, he would have to accept what she could give him, or be left with nothing.

Preston's eyes were fixed on her soft hand. "Does the idea of being close to me frighten you?" he asked reaching with his finger and touching her. Sookie felt a shiver shoot up her hand and down her spine spreading to other areas. _"Oh boy,"_ she told herself. She was in so much trouble.

"No." Her voice was sexed up, which surprised her. "I," she swallowed, "I just assumed humans didn't hold much appeal to fairies."

"I can only speak for myself." Sookie turned and met his gaze. "You're more appealing to me than the air I breathe."

"I am?" she was breathless; dizzy.

"You've stolen my heart," he smiled resisting the temptation to draw her toward him. "And the thing is," he said. "I don't want it back." What does a girl say? She remembered her great-grandfather telling her how persuasive fairies were.

"What about Niall?" she had to ask. He seemed to be the only one who would have something to say about her and Preston. She didn't think the Shreveport vampires would care. She hadn't heard anything from them in two months. And Christmas Eve was the first time she'd spoken to Bill in some time.

"I know," he said in an undertone. They both let out a coordinated sigh. Time stretched quietly as they sat on the swing.

Technically, Preston hadn't actually said he would stay away from her. He only acknowledged what he had been told by simply saying, 'I understand.' Maybe that would be enough to avoid an iron guillotine.

"Preston," Sookie was the first to break the silence.

"Yeah," he breathed.

"Yes," she smiled brightly. Niall had never disapproved of any of her former boyfriends, why would he now? And did he really get a say in the matter? As far as Sookie was concerned, that was an emphatic, _"No"._

"I'm honored," he smiled letting out an audible breath of relief.

"Good." Sookie beamed.

"I was hoping you would be hungry tonight." Sookie definitely was hungry in a carnal way, but she wasn't about to tell him that. If she could help it, they would take things slow.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "Would you have dinner with me tonight?" Sookie grinned mischievously, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Well," she paused playfully. "I just happen to be off tonight," she said. "I would love to have dinner with you." She liked him, a lot.

"I can pick you up at five."

"Ok," she smiled brightly. "Where are we going?"

"The warehouse district in Shreveport," he answered.

"Really?" she smiled genuinely excited. She'd never been to the warehouse district before. It was supposed to be a posh area for young professionals.

"Dress comfortably," he said standing up, holding Sookie's hand in his. Her heart raced, and she wondered if he would kiss her. She wanted to kiss him. "I hear your boss," he warned her. "I'll let you get back," he said though he wasn't ready to leave her. Sookie nodded her head, but she didn't move.

Preston leaned toward her. Her insides fluttered. For two nights she had dreamt about their first kiss. Instinctively, she tilted her chin. She wanted to kiss him more than anything.

Gently, Preston touched her lips. They kissed for some time, both lost in the adventure and pleasure of the contact. Sookie wrapped her arms around his neck. She wasn't sure if it was a fairy thing, but like a few nights before, she felt his kiss over her entire body. Everything seemed to be involved in this kiss. As they continued this delicate dance, they began to want other things. Their breathing sped up.

The sound of the _Employees Only_ door closing reminded Preston where they were. Reluctantly, he pulled back.

"Good-bye," Preston's voice sounded shaken. It pleased Sookie. Slowly, he pulled away. Her kisses had tasted faintly of sweet nectar. Sookie nodded her head unable to find her voice. She watched him disappear through some invisible door.

Suddenly she questioned her sanity.

She missed her Gran; she would know what to tell her and whether or not she was making the right decision to see Preston.

Awkwardly she glanced around and went back inside.

"Everything ok?" asked Sam the second she opened the door. She let out a scream.

"Jesus Christ Sheppard of Judea," cried Sookie.

"Sorry." Sam quickly adjusted himself.

"You gave me a fright." Her voice was short. Sam leaned forward and inhaled her sweet tempting scent. It was something Sookie was use to seeing. Quickly, she made her way around him and down the hall and returned to her tables.

Sam had noticed the exchange between her and the stranger. He felt confused. His mind went into overdrive for several minutes. He thought she never dated the regular human type with her telepathy and all. Something didn't add up. Sam frowned.

Ever since Sookie got herself involved with vampires, she didn't always think through her actions. So naturally, Sam was concerned about this new man suddenly showing up.

Though Sookie had picked up a few flashes from Sam's mind, she knew by the looks he kept shooting at her after Preston had left that he wasn't too happy. For the rest of her shift, Sookie avoided Sam. As soon as she finished debriefing her replacement, she slipped into Sam's office and retrieved her purse. Without a word, with her apron still on, Sookie left through the _Employees Only_ door. Once in her car she hurried home. ~


	9. 2: Cooking Bossanova Style

PART TWO

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_**Cooking Bossanova Style**__**  
**_

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The five hour drive between Baton Rouge and Bon Temps hadn't appealed to Preston, especially when he could make the same distance in only seconds. So though fairies that were mainstreaming, living disguised as humans, reframed from using their abilities, including teleporting, Preston deviated from this rule when he began to teleport to Sookie's property.

This evening, he'd planned on teleporting them to Shreveport, _zapping,_ as Sookie had called it. "Have you ever traveled through the portals with Niall?" he had asked her.

"No," she had said, "I didn't know it was possible."

"It's possible," said Preston. But despite his many assurances, the idea had made her nervous. She decided that if she had been created to _zap_ places it would be one thing, but she wasn't a fairy, and so she had insisted on them driving.

As any fairy mainstreaming, Preston was familiar with the concept of a car and how to drive one. Actually, he had learned to drive an automobile back in the mid 1950's. The car of course had evolved since then. His favorite designs had been the 1956 Corvette and the 1966 Mustang Coupe, which he had shared with Sookie on their way into Shreveport.

Sookie's car however, left a man wanting. Though the expression on his face was fleeting when he studied her car, it didn't escape Sookie's notice. Needless to say, cars had been the dominating topic in their conversation into Shreveport. Sookie asked questions and Preston elaborated. A few times during the forty-five minute drive, he had brought her to tears with laughter discussing how the type of car a person drives can reveal about the driver.

Their effortless conversation made the drive time fly by. In no time, Preston pulled the car in front of their destination. Sookie beamed with excitement. They were in the posh warehouse district of Shreveport. A place though Sookie had heard of and was curious about, she would have never investigated herself. It was an expensive place to live and shop. Even the sidewalks were too clean and too fancy.

Preston walked around the front of the car. From the passenger seat, Sookie's gaze followed him. She still couldn't believe that he cut his beautiful long hair. His new hair cut did nothing to diminish his masculine beauty. If anything, it only amplified it. Preston opened the car door and reached his hand out for Sookie. Her breath hitched as he reached out for her.

Preston smiled at hearing the subtle change in her breathing. When it came to Sookie, there was no detail small enough that did not escape his attention. The little changes in her heart rate and the tiny fluctuations in her inhalations excited him.

Sookie felt her insides turn topsy-turvy when Preston smiled. She had begun to notice that when he was truly happy and he smiled, a dimple formed in his cheek. There were a few supernatural men that she knew who could make the needle on her lust gauge spike, but they never did to her heart, what Preston could do with just a smile.

She struggled to articulate to herself the emotions she was feeling. It wasn't lust, though she definitely felt that when she saw him standing at her front door this evening. In some ways, it was like a musical playing inside her, though the idea seemed silly to her. After all, how could there be a musical playing inside a person? But it was true, he made her heart sing.

Preston led them down the sidewalk toward the door to the restaurant. Beautiful urns lined the walkway, and inside them were tall thin trees. On the front of the brick building was a neon sign that read Urban Cooks. Below it in elegant script it read Culinary Studio. Preston reached for the door and opened it for Sookie.

"Nice door," she whispered. When she stepped inside, she saw instantly that Urban Cooks wasn't the Olive Garden, and definitely not Merlotte's. Sookie took in every detail of the restaurant from the beautiful brick that spanned the side of the restaurant to the candles flickering on the tables. She felt slightly uncomfortable at imagining what it was costing Preston to bring her to a place like this. _"Don't think about it," _she thought silently.

The idea of someone paying for her always made her uncomfortable. She'd been raised to be independent and never to take advantage of someone's generosity. However, Sookie's true reasons had more to do with her buried feelings of unworthiness. As a child and young girl she constantly heard the insensitive thoughts people had about her, her situation, her strangeness, and fundamentally this chiseled away at her self-worth and self esteem, which she has struggled to regain all her young adult life.

"Good evening," smiled the pretty petite brunette who was the hostess. "Welcome to Urban Cooks." Sookie turned her attention to the young woman. She wasn't human. Though she looked the part, the hostess' brain pattern was far from human. The hostess looked up. Her eyes caught Sookie's attention. They were a faint gray purple color. "Preston," she beamed with recognition.

Sookie turned her attention to Preston. He knew the hostess. Preston introduced them, which Sookie thought was very well mannered of him to do. The young woman and Preston exchanged a few sentences about her parents. Sookie wondered if he knew she wasn't human.

"Well it's good to see you," said the hostess. Her voice and gaze were dreamy. Sookie was prepared to be inundated with random thoughts, so she had pulled up her guard to block out peoples' thoughts from her mind. But it didn't take a telepath to know what the hostess, whatever she was, was thinking about Preston. "The class is right through those doors," she pointed to a pair of oak double doors with etched glass. Sookie looked up at Preston.

"Class?" she asked. A little wave of nerves washed through her. She was definitely curious and slightly anxious about what exactly her date with Preston involved.

"Thank you," said Preston. He reached his arm around Sookie's small waist, sending a delicious awareness spreading throughout her body. Preston's gesture communicated clearly to Sookie and to Violet, the hostess, that he was with her, and Sookie appreciated it.

Never taking his hand off of her hip, he led them through the double oak doors. On the other side of those doors were at least five more couples each at their own table counters. They were the last couple to enter. Preston led them to the only empty table. "I thought we were going out for dinner?" she leaned close and whispered to Preston.

"We are," he smiled. "It's dinner with a twist."

"I'd say," she teased. Moments later their instructors took center stage.

"Welcome to Cooking Bossanova Style," greeted the young man dressed in a white chief's coat. "I'm Jonathan and this is my assistant Abigail. We'll be your instructors for this evening." He had Sookie's full attention. Like the hostess, his brain signature was a pink and thick smooth pattern. The pink color was more pronounced with the man than the young hostess. Sookie's telepathy studied the woman. She was a hundred percent human. Sookie glanced over to Preston to look for any indication of whether he knew something was different about the man. But there was nothing but a warm smile meant for her. She pushed aside her questions about the chef and the hostess. It could wait until later.

Over the next several minutes, Sookie learned that they would be cooking Brazilian food. On the menu was Brazilian Nut Soup, a Brazilian Fish & Coconut, followed by an Orange Salad.

Preston helped Sookie out of her smoky gray cardigan and into her apron. On the center of the apron, in clean crisp fancy letters read, Urban Cooks Culinary Studio. Preston imagined she would make a potato sack look lovely. "Here let me help you," she offered. Just as Preston had done, she wrapped the apron string around him and tied it in the front. To his surprise she took the palms of her hands and smoothed out the apron fabric against his chest.

"I'm glad you came," he said placing his hands over hers. Her breath hitched.

"Me too," she smiled. Though she had some reservations with starting a new relationship so soon after her break-up with Quinn, and then the fact that she had never dated a fairy before, she was genuinely happy when she saw Preston standing on her porch.

With a life filled with so much tragedy, Sookie was unconsciously afraid to be truly happy for fear that it would be taken away, for everyone she ever loved and depended on had died. This was one reason why she so often second guessed herself, tittering back and forth between what her heart wanted, what her life experience had taught her, and what others would think and feel.

Preston released her hands, and rolled up his sleeves. In between instructions, the two cooking teachers shared with their students the history of Brazilian cuisine. It was all fascinating to Sookie. Her palette was uncultured, so she enjoyed the opportunity to try something new. "Well," she said, "this seems simple enough." Sookie opened the oven door for Preston. With an oven mitt over his hand, he reached in for the baking pan.

"I hope so," said Preston. "I have to cook something for you."

"Oh," she breathed. "Is that so?"

"Isn't the way to the heart through the stomach?" he asked.

"Something like that," she giggled. Preston placed the hot baking pan filled with a layer of nuts on a cooling rack. "They look very pretty," observed Sookie as she admired their lovely golden color. Preston returned to preparing the soup. With wonder Sookie watched him.

He was a fairy doing something she viewed as ordinary — normal; human.

She knew her fairy great-grandfather would never be caught in a kitchen making soup. He was a Prince. Sookie was sure that he had people who cooked for him. Her thoughts then naturally went to her fairy cousin Claudine. "_She would probably cook for herself_," thought Sookie. But her brother Claude, she figured would only cook if he was starving, or if Claudine wasn't home. On second thought, Sookie, mused, he would probably go through the fast food drive through window.

Sookie was quickly learning that fairies were as different from one another as humans.

"What do you think?" asked Preston. He offered her a spoon filled with soup. Preston watched her closely as she leaned forward wrapping her soft lips around the tip of the wooden spoon. A quiver ran down his spine. The sensation had a personal and physical effect on him, and he was relieved that the apron was long enough to cover him.

When the soup hit Sookie's taste buds, a wave of pleasure washed over her face. "Mmm," she breathed. Her response intensified Preston's arousal. "It's good," she said. "You should try it."

Without reservation, Preston leaned in and kissed her. Sookie drew in a breath. Preston enjoyed kissing her, and she enjoyed being kissed by him. In the short time that she'd known Preston, like her fairy relatives, he was touchy-feely. However, there was one key difference between their touch and Preston's; his touch had the intimacy of a lover.

"That's good," he said, stepping back from kissing her.

"That's not what I meant," she said, feeling her cheeks redden. Preston smiled, running his tongue over his bottom lip. He couldn't help not touching her in some way. She was so soft, and his feelings for Sookie that had began to blossom when he first saw her from a far, ran deep. Fairies were affectionate beings that found deep meaning and joy in their connections with others.

A fairy's very design gave them the unique ability to feel the presence of their loved ones without touching. It wasn't possible to have this type of connection with humans. It required skin against skin. And sometimes even two bodies entwined could only create a faint connection. But with Sookie, her spark allowed the connection to be formed with just a simple touch. The more contact Preston's skin touched Sookie's, the deeper the connection he experienced. And he graved it as much as he graved her sound, her scent, and her mouth.

"It's hot," warned Sookie. Preston paused, the wooden spoon an inch from his lips, and blew before tasting the soup.

"You're right," he said. "It's good. Of course, it's not as wonderful as your sweet lips."

"I think you're biased," she quickly pointed out.

"No," he said. "A man can find the reason for his entire existence in your mouth." Sookie blushed, biting her lip. The things he said made her knees feel weak. She sighed softly, savoring the warm feelings that filled her heart. She turned her attention to the cutting board and started chopping up the fresh ingredients.

Preston watched her with wonder. She held a power over him, and though it should have concerned him, it didn't. He had disobeyed a prince for the pleasure of her smiles, and he was certain that he would disobey a hundred more princes if it meant he could be close to her.

Sookie was aware of his admiring gaze, and she felt her complication turn rosy. Preston loved the color on her cheeks. Other women always flushed when he was near, but they couldn't hold a candle to Sookie's beauty.

After skinning nuts, whisking, sautéing, marinating fish, and peeling, Sookie found herself in a quiet corner in the dining area with Preston. They had been served the meal they had both made together. "So what did you do when you were in Faery?" she asked. Preston took a drink from his glass. The wine was complimentary. He hated the taste, preferring a finely brewed cold glass of beer, even a soda over the wine.

"My family, we're artisans," he answered, "sword-makers."

"Why do you live here and not there?" she asked.

"It's very different here," he explained. "Being an earth fairy, our status, though not the lowest among fairies, has certain limitations." Sookie nodded her head. She sat straighter and leaned forward. Her attention fixed on what he was saying. "Here," he referred to Sookie's world, "there aren't as many social restraints."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Well," started Preston. "Everyone in Faery has a role to play in our society. Earth fairies are the builders. That's our purpose."

"That sounds like a good thing."

"Yes," smiled Preston. "It is an honorable purpose." He paused taking time to collect his thoughts. "I wanted to learn something more than building, but being an earth fairy it was something above my station," the word made the space between Sookie's brows wrinkle. "For any fairy to reach beyond their station isn't something that is done."

"Why?" asked Sookie, her tone a bit harsh. Preston couldn't help but smile. His eyes sparkled with amusement. The idea of a cast system was a touchy subject among humans, and he could see it wasn't any different with Sookie.

"I don't have the magic that water fairies do," he explained. "So it's impossible to share in their purpose. It works both ways. A water fairy doesn't have the same kind of magic like an earth fairy. We both would find no pleasure or happiness in striving to share in each other's purpose. It would only lead to frustration."

"I see," said Sookie. It seemed to make sense. But she was having a hard time accepting the idea, which at its core went against how she was raised. Her Gran had always told her she could be anything she wanted if she only applied herself.

"That's one reason I enjoy living in this world," he said. "I've been able to do things I wouldn't have been able to do in mine."

"Really?"

"Yes," Preston grinned. "After I came to live among humans, I was able to learn the arts of human healing. You see, fairies, we're different. The healing arts require healing magic. That is only something water fairies are gifted with. Though what I learned here cannot be applied with fairies, I still enjoyed it tremendously."

"I see," said Sookie. Hearing Preston talk about his life was fascinating. Having been around vampires she understood that there were hundreds of lifetimes of experience that they had. It was no different with Preston. He'd seen and experienced so much more than she would ever be able to.

"And I have my shop now," he said proudly.

"That's right," Sookie recalled their conversation on Christmas Eve. "You had mentioned that you lived over a shop."

"I make custom wood furniture," he said. "It's convenient to live and work in close proximity." Sookie smiled at his practicality.

"What's your other reason you like it here?" she asked before taking a bite of her fish.

"Well," said Preston. "Things are a bit complicated right now in Faery."

"Yeah," breathed Sookie. "Niall hinted as much." Sookie took a drink of her wine. The wine was alright. She wasn't a red wine kind of woman. "Did you know my grandfather Fintan?"

"I met him once," said Preston.

"You did?" Sookie laid her fork down. "What was he like?" she asked hoping he would tell her since Niall really didn't like talking about him. It seemed to make him sad.

"You have to remember," he pointed out. "He was a lot older than me. But even as a young fairy, I saw how charming he was." _Charming, _thought Sookie. She was always being told that she was charming. Maybe that's where she got it from. "I remember him being the most beautiful of all of Niall's children."

"He was?" smiled Sookie. So far she wasn't learning anything Niall hadn't already shared with her.

"Fintan had a magnetic personality," he explained. "When he spoke, people would listen. Many fairies and humans were equally drawn to him." Sookie definitely knew she didn't inherit that particular trait. "This I remember intimidated a lot of fairies." Preston took a sip of his wine. His face wrinkled. Sookie could tell he wasn't very interested in it.

"Why don't you order something different to drink?" she asked. "I'd like a soda." Preston nodded. The waiter saw them glance over toward him and quickly picked up on the queue. When he came over, Preston asked for two cokes.

"Many fairies had sworn allegiance to Niall because of Fintan."

"I didn't know that," said Sookie.

"He engendered loyalty in those that got to know him," said Preston. "I heard a few years ago that he died. I'm sorry."

Sookie wearily smiled at Preston, feeling a strange sensation knot up in the back of her throat. "Thank you Preston," she breathed. The consolation she felt at hearing Preston's apology, surprised her, because she never knew Fintan. She wished she'd had.

When Niall first told her the truth about her Gran and his son, Sookie tried to deny that he had been her grandfather. She knew instinctively that Niall was her great-grandfather, but the idea of her Christian grandmother having an affair with another man that spanned several years was a bombshell. The revelation shattered the perfect image she had of her grandparents and their marriage. But over the last several months she'd come to accept the truth. Her initial shock was now diminished. She had known the moment Niall spoke the words that it was all true. She felt it.

"So have you aligned yourself yet?" Sookie asked, curious to see where he stood in relation to her great-grandfather.

"My family and I are kin to the earth," he said. "Our allegiance is to the sky fairies."

"Niall," said Sookie, "He's a sky fairy."

"Yes," smiled Preston. Sookie's face lit with joy. Amelia and Octavia had explained to her about the elements and how like Witches and wiccans, fairies drew their energy from one of the four elements. She wasn't sure what it all meant, but she was glad to hear it nonetheless.

As their evening progressed, there were moments, though fleeting, that Preston noticed a soft golden glow to Sookie's skin. She was beautiful and completely unaware of how her spark sometimes gave her skin a luminous quality. He even noticed how she smelled of the sun; sweet and fresh. Her natural perfume was a faint version of the fairy scent of her people. It wasn't surprising to Preston that she attracted the vampires. He estimated that only a vampire connoisseur would be able to make the connection between her scent and the traces of fairy blood she possessed. All others would simply think she smelled of summertime.

"So are there any other reasons you like living here?" she asked glancing over her glass at Preston. She had learned the first night she met him that he lived in Baton Rouge.

"I enjoy the company of humans very much," he said.

"Why?" Sookie asked sarcastically. Preston picked up on the change in her tone. After her run in with the Fellowship of the Sun guys this afternoon, she was feeling less loyal to her fellow humans.

"They're fun," he said. "Why do you like the company of vampires?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Because," smiled Sookie, "They're fun." He didn't need to say anything else. His question answered hers. "Preston," she said, "do humans accept you? They don't ever suspect that you're different?"

"We're beautiful to them," he explained. "Our beauty mesmerizes them. We don't even have to use magic. They can't help but be pulled toward us and want our company."

"So am I not beautiful enough?" she asked. "Is that why they treat me the way they do?"

"No," emphatically said Preston. "Look at you," he gestured. "There's no human that can compare to your beauty." Sookie smiled.

"Then I don't understand," she admitted. "If I'm so beautiful, why do most humans think I'm a freak?" Preston flinched. Sookie saw his expression harden at hearing what most people truly thought of her.

"You're more fascinating than a dozen humans," he said. His voice was ardent.

"I try to fit in, I really do," she said.

"Humans aren't afraid of me, because my spark…," he hesitated, dropping his gaze so that he wasn't looking directly at her. His voice softened. "It isn't weak," he paused to gauge if he'd offended her.

What he didn't say was that his spark, his magic, was not diluted with human blood. The quality of a fairy's blood was a sensitive and heated topic. Even as they sat there, he knew back in Faery lines were being drawn because of this very thing. Some fairies believed that the introduction of human blood into Faery had led to the decline in their numbers.

He glanced up to see her watching him expectantly. Instantly he relaxed. She wasn't offended. He continued, "That is by-and-large the draw for humans. They are attracted to our spark." Sookie remembered Niall telling her that she had the spark.

"So my spark isn't strong enough?" she asked. Her tone was thoughtful. Preston nodded.

"I think you fall in a precipice," he explained. "Your spark is too weak to glamour humans, but too strong that it makes you different enough from them. They see in you what they're too charmed to see in us. It frightens them." Sookie exhaled an audible breath. She appreciated Preston having this conversation with her. He could have easily just brushed her questions off.

"I guess it's a good thing I don't have pointy ears," she giggled imagining how much more freaked out people would be around her.

"Yes," smiled Preston. He loved hearing her laugh, her sound was a song. Almost absently because it felt so natural to do, Sookie rested her hand on Preston's. They immediately glanced down. For a fraction their gazes fixed silently. Preston turned his hand over. Very naturally, they laced their fingers together. "Maybe if you did have pointed ears, you're fairy essence would be strong enough to charm humans."

"So how do you get your ears to look human?" she asked. "Did you have surgery?" Preston enjoyed Sookie's questions.

"It's my gift," he answered her. "Remember how I changed my hand?"

"Yes," she said.

"I change my ears," he said. "When I'm home, I change them back to their natural form."

"Don't you get tired?" she asked, appreciating Preston's openness. She liked it. Claudine didn't like to talk about fairy things. Preston didn't seem to mind.

"No," he answered.

They continued their conversation covering a long list of favorites, their wish lists, and Sookie's family, her Gran in particular. In the bubble they'd created, time slowed, while outside it sped along. It wasn't until Sookie yawned that the thought of time crossed her mind. Her eyes darted around the restaurant. They were the only ones left.

"We should go now," said Preston. Sookie glanced down at her watch.

"Wow, where did the time go?" she asked. Preston stood and pulled her chair out. Her cardigan, which she had put back on, ended up draped on the back of her chair during dinner. She reached for it only to have Preston intercept her. He took her smoky gray cardigan and held it open for her. Sookie slid her arms, one at a time, into the sleeves. "Thank you," she said, fastening the small leather belt she had exchanged with the wool braided cord she had bought the sweater with.

Preston reached for her hand and led her out of the restaurant and to the car. Her stomach fluttered and tickled with the sensation of a million champagne bubbles. With her other hand, Sookie held his arm drawing herself closer to his side. ~


	10. 2: The Longest Miles

PART TWO

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**The Longest Miles  
**

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Before long, they were in the car and on the highway heading back to Bon Temps. For the first time, sitting next to him in the car, Sookie began to wonder what a life with him would be like; if it was even possible.

"You know," remembered Sookie. "The hostess and Jonathan weren't human. Do you know what they are?" she asked.

"You noticed?"

"Yeah," said Sookie. "His register was a bright pink and a thick smooth pattern. It was much thicker than yours. The hostess, hers wasn't as pink or as thick."

"I'm impressed," he smiled quickly glancing over at her. "Violet is a half pixie. Her father, Jonathan is a pureblood pixie. And her mother Abigail is human."

"Tinker Bells?" Sookie gave him a disbelieving smile.

"Not Tinker Bells," he grinned, amused. "They are petite, but not that small."

"He didn't look small," said Sookie.

"Well," he said. "Jonathan is smaller than he appears. He makes himself taller though I'm sure he's sore every morning."

"Does Abigail know about him? I mean, what he is?" Preston's expression went blank. He shouldn't have mentioned Abigail. He wasn't sure how Sookie would react to the truth.

"No," he almost whispered the word.

"Why?" shrieked Sookie. "It doesn't seem right," her mind was reeling with one thought after another. "Doesn't she suspect? She has to know her daughter is different."

"I don't think she suspects," replied Preston.

His answer made Sookie's chest tighten. It bothered her that a man would lie to his wife about something so important. Bill had lied to her…and Quinn had withheld the truth about his life. Both times she felt a betrayal that cut her deeply.

"Would you have lied to me if you could've?" Sookie's tone was bitter.

"No I wouldn't have," said Preston. At least he didn't think he would have, not if he didn't have to. He wanted her to know him. "I'm not Jonathan. And as to why he does what he does, you'll have to ask him."

"What kind of answer is that?"

"I don't know why he hasn't told her," said Preston. "Maybe he's afraid of losing her." It really troubled Sookie that a man would lie about who he was to his own family, his own wife. She had thought Jonathan was a nice man, now she was rethinking her first impression.

"It seems wrong."

"So you have _never_ withheld the truth about what you are to those you know?"

"N…" Sookie stopped the word from coming out fully. "It's not the same."

"Seems like two sides of the same coin to me."

"I've never been romantically involved with those that don't know what I am," Sookie argued. "And for that matter, I've never had a child with any of them," she quickly added.

"Sometimes the human mind is too fragile," he said keeping his eyes on the road. "Maybe he tried, I don't know….maybe her mind couldn't reconcile her world with his. That happens sometimes. And if, and I mean _if_ that is what happened, what should he have done? Abandoned her?" There was a tangible silence between them. Sookie stared out the window. She hated that he made sense. "_Still_," how could someone lie to the very woman they loved and who bore their child? If you didn't tell someone who or what you really were, how could they ever truly love you back?

"They're in love," Preston's voice was just above a whisper. "Sometimes that has to be enough."

"Perhaps for some people," Sookie kept her voice soft, staring out the window into the dark shadows zooming past them. "A lie is a lie no matter how you paint it," her voice had an edge to it. Preston's expression tensed. Tears threatened to break her expression. The tightness in her chest was back, bitterness, at yet one more thing that she was to be denied.

A long silence resumed for several miles. He regretted mentioning Abigail. He didn't know exactly why Sookie had reacted so strongly. It took Preston another mile before he came up with an answer to his question.

"Sookie," his voice was pleading. "I won't lie about myself to you. That's the kind of person I am." She straightened in her seat next to him, but didn't turn around. "I never wanted to settle for anything less than you loving me for _all_ that I am." He had wished this truth more than anything, but if she hadn't been what and who she was, and if she couldn't have reconciled what he was with her reality, he would have spared her the truth of what he was. And he would have loved her every day until she didn't want him anymore.

Sookie sat quietly staring into the darkness passing by. She kept her face turned away, hiding the tears she wasn't able to keep stuffed down. Preston was so open. She didn't want him to see her crying. There was a beautiful pain in what he had said. Could it be that simple? A man simply giving you what you wanted – what you needed. Maybe it was a small thing and she was being silly, yet she couldn't help to feel what she felt.

"Sookie?" His voice was strained.

"I'm ok—really," she whispered. "I need a minute."

"Ok," Preston fell silent respecting her need for some solitude.

Resting her head against the headrest, it took only a few minutes before she lost the battle to fatigue and slipped off to sleep. Preston could hear her slow respiration and he knew she had dosed off.

The last several miles were the longest he had ever traveled.

He considered her comment about "a lie is a lie no matter how you paint it". She was right about that. He just wasn't sure why it upset her. A fairy never lied for the sake of lying. You lied to protect yourself, those that belong to you, and you lied to protect Faery. Lying was a necessary part of belonging to a world that only existed in children's stories. He wasn't sure how to make things right again or if there was any righting that had to be done.

Before he realized it, he was pulling up Sookie's gravel driveway. He brought her car gently to a stop where she usually parked it.

"Sookie," she heard her name being called. "Sookie," Preston gently woke her. Through half drawn eye lids, Preston's handsome face began to come into focus. "We're here," he said. Sookie drew in a deep breath and stretched her legs.

"Okay," she yawned. Preston smiled as he turned to exit the car. Sookie gathered herself so that when Preston opened her door, she was ready. They slowly walked up to her back porch and to the door.

Secretly, they hoped to stretch their time together a little longer, lingering at the backdoor. The floodlights led the backyard, which cloaked them in the shadows under the porch.

"I had a wonderful time," she said fiddling with her house keys. She didn't want to leave any awkwardness between them. She wasn't mad at him. Over the last few years all she wanted was honesty in a relationship. And for a fraction when Preston said what he did, she was upset to think that it wasn't something she could ever have. Bill had lied to her. Quinn had lied to her. It hurt to think that yet again this was something she would have to give up in order to be with someone. And for the billionth time in her life, she had hated what she was – she hated her telepathy. Then unexpectedly Preston gave her what she'd always wanted, what she hoped to have one day – openness and the honesty that flowed from it.

"The next few days I have to work," he explained, leaning closer so that he could feel the warmth radiating from her. "I have a deadline to make, but I'll call you." Sookie nodded her head. They had exchanged numbers over dinner.

"Well," she sighed looking down at her hands. "I guess this is good night." She raised her eyes, meeting his gaze. Her heart instantly raced with anticipation. Preston studied her, allowing himself for a moment to languish in the depths of her eyes.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you." His voice was gentle.

"You didn't," breathed Sookie. "It's just that too many people have lied to me…I can't take another lie." Despite herself, her eyes glossed with tears.

"I won't lie to you, never intentionally." Preston's voice was tender. He drew his hand up and caressed the side of her face. "I may not always say things right, but you only have to ask."

"I know," she nodded her head. Preston stepped closer, until he could feel her breath on his mouth.

The next instance, they kissed.

Preston tenderly cupped her beautiful face between his hands; holding; caressing; drinking and offering her the same pleasure and comfort her sweet mouth gave his.

Sookie dropped the keys. They landed with a soft clang next to her foot.

With her hands free, she curled her fingers against his chest, fisting the fabric of his shirt. Kissing a fairy was unlike any experience Sookie had ever had. It was like swimming in a pool of colors. His mouth and the sinful things he did with it, made her head spin. She was certain it had to be sinful; it felt too damn good. It was like sex. Her entire body was involved in this kiss.

Preston's hands lingered down her body and rested on her back; bracing her as he deepened the contact with her.

In the secrecy of the shadows, their tongues engaged in an elaborate dance. After several minutes of no movement in the backyard, the flood lights turned off. The stars and moon were hidden behind a thick blanket of clouds. The blinds and curtains at the back of the house were closed. They were insulated in the pure and unfiltered darkness of the country. The blindness the night had created, heightened Sookie's other senses. Gentle sounds of their mutual pleasure filled the air around them.

Slowly, one measured inch at a time, Preston's hand glided farther down, until he was caressing her bare thigh, eliciting a seductive groan from Sookie.

Abruptly the porch light flicked on. They were instantly washed in the muddy yellow light of a 40 watt light bulb.

The spell of their kiss ended.

"Good night," he whispered, his arms still wrapped around her.

"Good night," she breathed. Preston chanced the spell of another kiss. He drew her closer and kissed her a few more long moments.

"I really should go now," he said breathless. Sookie nodded her head.

"That's probably a good idea," she agreed. A few more minutes and she knew her resolve to 'take things slow' would be thrown out the window.

Wistfully, she watched Preston step off her porch. He stepped out onto the backyard triggering the sensor for the flood lights. Her gaze followed him until he disappeared through an invisible door.

She hauled in a deep breath. Picking up her keys, she turned her attention to the door knob. Her telepathy had informed her that Octavia had flicked the porch light on.

"Did you have a nice evening?" asked Octavia. She was sitting at the kitchen table.

Octavia had answered the door when Preston picked Sookie up for their evening together. Though he had been in his human form, Octavia was able to pick up on his otherworldly vibrations. She knew instantly that he was a fairy. Those like her, true Witches, could sense their presence. Octavia also knew that the magic Sookie's new man possessed was special.

"Yes," said Sookie, feeling uneasy at the way Octavia studied her. Sookie wasn't sure what the old Witch was thinking. Unlike Amelia who couldn't keep her thoughts from Sookie's telepathy, Octavia was blocking her. The old woman's magic reinforced shields protecting her thoughts were no match for Sookie's gift. If Sookie really wanted to know what Octavia was thinking, Sookie could easily listen in. But she wasn't really interested.

"His secret is safe," said Octavia stirring her tea. _Okay. _Sookie's brow wrinkled. Earlier that evening she'd told her roommates that Preston was a shifter. She wasn't sure if Octavia somehow found out the truth about Preston. The old Witch had a tendency to speak in riddles and half sentences. _I'll wait and see._ Sookie decided to keep an eye out for anything suspicious in Octavia's behavior. And only then, if she gave Sookie cause would she intrude on her thoughts.

"Good night Octavia," said Sookie, turning to leave. When she reached the door that led into the hallway, which would lead her to her room, Octavia's voice stopped her.

"Be careful Sookie," she warned. "As powerful as they are, their heart is easily broken." Sookie looked over her shoulder and watched Octavia stirring her tea. "Remain loyal to them," she continued in her slow manner, "and you will never want for anything. Betray them," Octavia said pausing to test the temperature of her tea. "Well, forgiveness is not a virtue they possess."

For true Witches, the fairies were sacred beings. Octavia knew many things about their kind, every real Witch did. The knowledge of fairies was part of a Witches' training. Fairies were creatures of pure magic. Any respectable Witch would know this and more. Privately, many of them hoped to find favor from a fairy, but they were secretive and reclusive. It was a rarity for fairies to highly esteem a human, but it was possible. Octavia peacefully drank her hot tea. She could sense Sookie looking at her. She hoped she hadn't scared the young woman. She simply wanted her to know the capacity with which these magical creatures could love, be hurt, and hate.

Sookie's calm expression didn't betray her cynicism at getting love advice from a double divorcée. Respectfully, or at least the façade of something a little less than respect, Sookie waited where she stood to see if Octavia was done. When Octavia, who never once looked up at her, remained quiet, Sookie figured the Witch was done. "Good night," Sookie said.

"Good night Sookie," said Octavia.

Moments later Sookie found herself in bed. For a few treasured moments, her thoughts lingered on her evening with Preston. But exhaustion over took her. Her lids heavy, she closed her eyes and sleep pulled her under. ~

* * *

**A/N: **I hope to hear from you. I always appreciate feedback. Its amazing how they can give you fuel to keep going.


	11. 2: Unexpected Visitor

PART TWO

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**Unexpected Visitor**

* * *

A few weeks had passed since Christmas, and the New Year came and went without a hitch. As far as Sam was concerned, all was right—almost. From behind the bar, he watched Sookie. She'd slipped into the hall and was text messaging. He wanted to say something to her, but he hesitated. She was giggling, and smiling at her cell phone. She looked like an angel. Somehow he didn't feel it was right to come down on her for using her phone. After all, he allowed Arlene and Holly, in between tables, to use their phones and text message. They had kids; Sookie didn't. Still, he restrained himself from throwing down his bar towel and confronting her.

Ever since Christmas, he'd noticed Sookie's mood significantly improve. She'd always been a happy go lucky sort of person, but after she got mixed up with vampires, he noticed she didn't smile as much. That is until now. She was so happy and always smiling. At first he thought she'd started dating another vampire, but he didn't smell any on her.

On the contrary, he'd noticed her amazing sweet scent had gotten stronger. So much so, he was struggling more than usual to keep a grip of himself when he was near her. He fidgeted with embarrassment – he never wanted Sookie to know this.

So other than these few changes, he couldn't explain the reason behind the change he'd been seeing in her. But it wasn't her happiness that had him worried. It was the sneaking, and hiding that concerned Sam. The whispered conversations she had on her phone. The stopping everything she was doing whenever that stranger occasionally dropped in, and avoiding his questions about that stranger. All this worried Sam. Most of all, it was the lying that worried him. Truth is it also hurt. It was never like Sookie to lie.

"Hey Sam," beamed Sookie, sitting her tray on the counter. "Two Bud Lights please."

"Sure thing," said Sam. "The bar is closing."

"Wow," said Sookie. "Time flew tonight." Sam wasn't sure what to make of her comment, especially considering that she'd been looking at the clock every fifteen minutes for the past few hours.

"You seem real happy tonight," said Sam.

"You think so?" asked Sookie. She could hear from everyone's mind that they were wondering about the bounce in her step. They all imagined she had a new man in her life, and every last person hoped it wasn't another vampire. This really irritated her the most. Despite their acceptance of Vampire Bill, their tolerance for vampires ended there. The folk in Bon Temps were still pretty closed minded about vampires.

"Got a hot a date?" teased Sam.

"Oh," she smiled sheepishly. "No, I'm just ready to go home." What she wasn't telling Sam was that she had a phone date with Preston.

When she started seeing Preston, she had been reluctant to start a long distance relationship again, considering how it didn't work very well for her and Quinn. But it was so completely different with Preston. Whenever they couldn't see each other, he actually called and text messaged her regularly. So far they'd gone out on four official dates not including their phone dates and text messaging. Their fourth "official" date was yesterday. It had been her day off from work. He took her to the museum in Monroe. After watching the show playing in the planetarium, Preston held her hand through all the exhibits and shared his version of some of the history he had lived through.

Towards the end of their visit, the back of her ankles had chaffed from the flats she had been wearing. She did her best to ignore the pain. Then without preamble, Preston swept her up into his arms. She more than enjoyed being close to him, but for propriety's sack, she protested. His solution to her objections had been a "_Don't look" _spell like the one Niall had conjured when she had first met. At the end of their date, when he had dropped her off, again like the other three times before, they lingered at the backdoor. They ended each date with a kiss that topped the one before.

A couple of times over the last few weeks she had to spent some indecent time with herself fantasying about Preston. She wondered if this disqualified her as 'taking it slow'.

"Here you go," said Sam. Sookie blinked, willing herself not to blush. She quickly cleared her thoughts of Preston, and she reached for the first pilsner glass of beer Sam handed her.

As she watched him fill up the next, she considered that maybe she did have a bounce in her step. Being with Preston, she admitted to herself, made her happy. He had a job, he made her laugh, and he was an attentive boyfriend. For the first time in a while she felt normal, which she found ironic considering that Preston wasn't a regular guy; not human at least. For that matter, she wasn't exactly a hundred percent human herself.

"Look what the devil dragged in," commented Sam. He suddenly felt guilty, a feeling that didn't go unnoticed by Sookie. For the first time since getting mixed up with Vampire Bill, Sam thought Sookie might be finally getting out of the vampire loop, and now he goes and throws her back into it. Worried about Sookie and this stranger, he contacted Eric, only to see if he'd heard anything.

"Pam?" asked Sookie. She was the last person she thought she would see. Sookie hadn't seen or heard from the Shreveport vampires in a few months. Now she wasn't so sure how to feel about seeing her. It was so unexpected.

"Sookie," purred Pam. She walked over to an empty booth in Sookie's section.

"Don't look so disappointed," commented Sam. Sookie gave him a half hearted grin. Vampires seemed to have an uncanny way of showing up when a person didn't want them coming around, and when Sookie wanted to hear from them, they were nowhere to be seen or heard from. She also knew very well that the Shreveport vampires never made social calls. There was always a reason, and for the most part, it was never good.

Sookie took her tray and delivered the beers to her table letting them know that the bar was closed. She returned to the bar to pick up Pam's usual before making her way to the vampire. "We're getting ready to close," Sookie told Pam. She placed an empty glass and a True Blood in front of her.

"Thank you," said Pam. Sookie glanced at the clock again. Niall had told her he would be back in a few weeks, so she told Preston it was probably a good idea if he didn't come by her house for a few days. Preston agreed and so they decided on a series of phone dates, the first starting tonight. She didn't want to miss his call.

"What brings you from Fangtasia?" Sookie's voice lacked any traces of Southern generosity. She knew that Pam could have had a True Blood at her own bar.

"It's good to see you too," snickered Pam. With a critical eye she studied Sookie. Even to Pam's experienced eyes, Sookie was hard to read.

"Sorry," said Sookie taking note of Pam's expression and tone. Sookie tried real hard not to feel annoyed. Even though they, Pam and Eric, had dropped off the edge of the earth, Sookie understood that they had their hands tied up dealing with the post-vampire take-over by the Nevada vampires. So her annoyance, she felt, was unwarranted. "It's good to see you."

"You smell absolutely decadent," purred Pam. "I don't remember you smelling quite this delicious before." The gauge on Pam's lust meter spiked. Since breathing wasn't necessary, for Sookie's sack she stopped.

"Well," said Sookie. "You know what they say, absence makes the heart fond." Pam let out a muted laugh.

"Has your heart grown fonder toward Eric in his absence?" asked Pam. Her attempt at coyness failed.

"Is this why you came all this way?" asked Sookie. It was late and she really wasn't up to Pam's teasing. Not only that, but Pam's teasing tugged at her guilt strings. This past October, Eric had regained his lost memories of their passionate week long affair a year ago. He had been persistent that they needed to talk. But Sookie was content to leave things 'status quo' between them, which she assumed Eric decided was a good idea since she hadn't seen or heard from him since October.

"I don't mean to sound ungracious," Sookie sighed. "It's been a long night and my shift is almost over."

"Then I'll get to the point," said Pam.

"That would be good," said Sookie.

"My master has received reports of an alarming nature," explained Pam.

"Ok," said Sookie. "And?"

"Have you taken a new lover?" flatly asked Pam.

"What?" Sookie asked. She was genuinely stunned. Surely, after a few months of no contact this isn't why Pam came all this way for.

"Bill reported you had a new companion," said Pam. Sookie imagined Bill had a nice time rubbing that in to Eric. "And the shifter has informed Eric that you might be in danger." Sookie shot a glare toward the vacant bar.

"Ok, that's it," Sookie slammed her hands on the table, which she realized as she did it, it wasn't a good idea. Pam's fangs extended. A normal person would have shrunk back, but Sookie felt another emotion take over her sense of self preservation. She didn't appreciate everyone's sudden obsession over her love life. "Who and what I keep in my bed, is my business," said Sookie, feeling her back straighten. For weeks Sam had been digging for information from her. He even showed up unannounced at her house.

"I think you should go now," said Sookie.

"What should I tell Eric?" Sookie's eyes widened with confusion and frustration.

"Look Pam," said Sookie. She hauled out a deep and loud breath. "I haven't seen you or Eric in a few months. No phone calls, no cards, nothing." Sookie wasn't truly judging their behavior. They were vampires, and as hard as it was to accept their on and off again behavior toward her, she'd slowly started to accept it. But they were now treading on territory that she felt no one had any business getting into with her.

"I know ya'l have been busy," conceded Sookie, "and I don't hold it against anyone." She took a steadying breath. "Life goes on despite what ya'l are dealing with. My life has gone on," she gently pointed out. "And I'm happy. Tell him what you will, he isn't my concern."

"You're his bonded," she reminded Sookie. If she didn't hold such worth to her master, Pam would snap her neck. Why was it so hard to comprehend that she belonged to Eric? "_Humans!"_ Pam couldn't understand why Eric entertained Sookie's foolishness. He needed to end everyone's misery and put his fist down instead of amusing her human idiosyncrasies.

"Look Pam," Sookie sighed. "I may have taken Eric's blood, but I also took Bill's. It doesn't make me bonded to Eric anymore than it bonded me to Bill." Sookie truly didn't understand this vampire fascination over who was and wasn't bonded to whom.

"_Silly human_," thought Pam. Eric was older and more powerful. He could end Bill's existence instantly, and why he hadn't exactly, baffled her. All Sookie had to do was take Bill back into her bed. With Bill's prior claim on her, Eric would have to step aside or challenge him. Didn't she understand that Bill was not powerful enough? If it wouldn't be Eric to challenge Bill, it would be another vampire.

They all seemed to be the only one's aware that a line of vampires had already formed to claim her; Felipe de Castro was among those standing in line. Eric was the only one who could save her from becoming a vampire mistress, a human woman that was kept for the pleasure of a master vampire until she was won by another master. She should be grateful instead of resistant.

"_Truly_," wondered Pam, what had their existence come to? She never thought she would see the day when one human would have two vampires wrapped around her little finger…_"but what a lovely finger Sookie had_," wistfully thought Pam. It wasn't hard for her to think of a few things that Sookie's sweet finger could do to her. Pam's fangs came down and her mouth watered. Her eyes fixed on Sookie's neck, more precisely, her pulse.

"Very well," said Pam. Her tone was longing. She took several swallows of her synthetic drink. She couldn't deny Sookie's appeal. "Your hair has grown longer," observed Pam. "Seems the effects of Eric's blood haven't worn off."

"I guess not," said Sookie. About five months ago she had taken a pretty large dose of Eric's blood. She was just glad that she had stopped glowing at night. Sookie figured it would take another three months for the effects of Eric's blood to completely flush out of her system. She hated most of the side effects. For one, she hated that she couldn't remember what it felt like to be _just_ Sookie Stackhouse not doped up on vampire blood.

Two, before their blood exchange about five months ago, she had only felt a causal pleasure when she saw Eric. And perhaps she had thought about him more often than she should have, but after their blood exchange, things became complicated. And most of the time, Sookie hated the bond that was created.

"How have things been for you?" asked Sookie, changing the subject. "You know, with the new King and all."

"Stressful," admitted Pam. "Eric has not been very happy. Castro is keeping him on a short leash."

"Maybe I should have let Siegbert kill him," Sookie absently said. Pam started laughing.

"Perhaps," smiled Pam. She did enjoy Sookie's unexpected wit. It was refreshing. "But Castro is a good businessman. It's good for Louisiana."

"But not good for Area Five?" asked Sookie. She deliberately avoided saying Eric's name. As she saw things, Eric was Area Five, which is why she had never fooled herself into thinking that any relationship with Eric would work out. His Area came first. Not only that, but as much as she really liked Eric most of the time, there was still something about him that frightened her.

"Eric has lived a long time," said Pam. "He is a survivalist. He will manage through it, but not without the rest of us paying for his bad mood."

"Hopefully you have some vacation time coming," said Sookie. Pam again let out a soft laugh.

"I cannot complain," said Pam. "Eric has a light hand; unlike many vampires. He is a good and fair master." Pam felt that if Sookie could see this, then perhaps she would quit resisting Eric and accept him completely.

In Sookie's peripheral vision, she saw her last table of customers toss down some bills and leave. Her eyes went to her watch. "I really need to go," said Sookie. "I have to close up."

"Yes," said Pam. "Of course." Pam gave Sookie one last appraising look. It didn't escape her observation that Sookie was definitely hiding something. Even if it hadn't been for Amelia, she would have been certain that Sookie had a new lover, but as to why Sookie was compelled to keep him a secret, was a mystery.

"Well, good night," said Sookie. She slid out of the booth. Pam nodded, stood, and quietly exited Merlotte's. ~


	12. 2: Pam's Report

PART TWO

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**Pam's Report**

* * *

Moments after leaving Merlotte's, Pam stepped out of the woods near Fangtasia. The night run between Shreveport and Bon Temps did wonders for her spirits. She slowed into a walk as she crossed the parking lot. When she neared the employee entrance, she could still hear the bar buzzing with humans.

"Pam," Eric called out at hearing her steps from down the hall outside his office. A short moment later, she entered.

"Master," said Pam. Her tone was respectful.

"What did you find out?" he asked.

"The witch told me Sookie has a new lover," answered Pam.

"She told you this?" he asked.

"No, she denied everything. I knew she was lying so I glamored her," said Pam matter-of-fact. She had had Amelia's blood. Though the connection was weak, it was just strong enough that she could still read her. Eric smiled and gestured for her to continue. "Apparently his name is Preston, a shifter from Baton Rouge."

"Did you confirm this?" asked Eric.

"No, I couldn't," answered Pam. "I only picked up the scent of the Shifter, two old Were scents, and of course I smelled Bill." Eric kept his eyes on the accounting books in front of him. "I did pick up a faint fairy scent both inside and outside her home." Eric put his pen down and glared up at Pam. "There was also an unfamiliar scent; fairy-like. It was strong and enticing. It took a lot of self control not to make love to the witch."

Eric quickly assumed that the fairy scent was Niall. "You said an unfamiliar scent?" asked Eric.

"Though Sookie seems to want the witch to think he is a shifter," observed Pam. "I do not think he is. He is a supernatural, but unlike any that I recall ever coming across." Eric was unsure what to make of Pam's report. It wasn't fairy, but it was _fairy-like_ in that it was enticing. The fae were so secretive it was hard for Eric to come up with a concrete answer.

"How did Sookie seem?" he asked. Over the last few months, he'd wanted to see her, but his obligations to his Area took precedence. And with Victor Madden breathing down his neck, he wouldn't have been able to relax at Sookie's place.

If he wanted sex and a feeding, he could get that in Shreveport, instead of flying all the way to Bon Temps. Not only that, but if she was stubborn, he would have had to use his connection with Sookie to sway her to sleep with him. It was _too_ much effort under the circumstances. Dealing with Victor had been too draining. It was best, he felt, that he stayed away from Sookie. Regardless, he didn't want to frighten her with his heavy mood.

"She seemed happy," admitted Pam. She saw Eric's face ripple with several different emotions. He didn't want her happy; at least not happy with another. Pam went silent and remained standing, allowing Eric to gain control of himself. "_It was the fools own fault_," she thought. He should have claimed her. His failure to do so allowed Sookie to take yet another lover. "_This is exactly what he gets_." Pam only hoped that Eric would learn from this experience.

Since getting the last of his memories back, his feelings in relation to Sookie had become more complicated. He was confused in a way that disturbed him. Before his memory loss, his feelings for Sookie were a causal pleasure. Not only that, but he wanted to have sex with her and he didn't care why she would, as long as she did. But two months ago, he remembered everything. He remembered the fear – a sensation he hadn't felt so acutely since he was first turned.

And then there was Sookie.

She had protected him and cared for him. She gave him the security of a home he had lost so many years ago. He knew he cared for Sookie, perhaps even loved her, he was just not sure. Everything essential that made a person human, were things he'd abandoned a thousand years ago. He was vampire – that was all he knew now. So the feelings that emerged with his gained memories put him off balance. Especially the deep sense of obligation he felt to Sookie; this feeling was the most perplexing. No vampire ever felt an obligation to another. The only obligation was to oneself.

After several moments Pam continued with her report. "Whoever this man is," said Pam, "she has gone to great lengths to conceal his identity."

"Is that it?" asked Eric.

"Yes, Master," answered Pam. "What now?"

"It seems that at the moment," said Eric. "Even if Felipe and Victor suspect, they don't know the identity of her lover."

"This could work toward your advantage," smiled Pam. Her thoughts were on the same wave length as Eric's.

"You did well," said Eric. He was proud of his child.

"What exactly is your plan?" she asked. Plotting and scheming were so much fun.

"I need some time to think," said Eric. "Leave me." Pam nodded her head and left Eric alone in his office.

As he crunched the numbers, his thoughts raced. If it wasn't for Niall, he would have turned Sookie months ago. Still, he had hesitated. He would miss her sweet warm blood. The thought of tasting himself in her if he turned her, didn't hold as much appeal as her human blood. Then the thought of another man bedding her made his dead heart burn.

He felt his anger surging. There was no human that he felt such passion for. No human that he has ever cared for. As far as he was concerned, since he had had her, Sookie belonged to him. She was his human, his lover.

Granted, he could never give her what they had shared during their time together, but he could protect her. He owed her that. She was a good woman, and she deserved his favor. There had to be a way to cement her to him, so that even Niall couldn't take her away from him.

"_So close,"_ he thought silently. When he heard that the Nevada vampires had taken Quinn into custody, he saw his opportunity to finally make Sookie his. But then Niall's appearance and his claim as Sookie's kin smashed his plan. Of what little he knew about fairies, he knew that they were a patriarchal society. And he knew the rules of this social structure. Niall was the patriarch, and there was no need for him to explain anything to Eric.

"Damn fairy," grumbled Eric.

He finished tallying up the numbers and opened the safe. Reaching in to place the ledger inside, his eye caught the case that held the ceremonial knife. It was the blade used in marriage ceremonies between vampires. Instantly, Eric's mind plotted and a victorious smile spread across his pale face.

As long as Sookie didn't question him, she would be his. All he needed was for her to present the knife to him in front of Victor, and it would seal his claim over her. Victor and Sookie would be none the wiser.

No other supernatural could take her from him. Not even Niall.

Eric told himself several times that his plan was in Sookie's best interest. He convinced himself that she would be honored that he would make such a connection with her. After all, she has always wanted to be married. Granted, she had never expressed a desire to be married to him, but that was neither here or there.

It would be for her protection. ~

* * *

**A/N: **For the record, just incase I've stepped on some toes with this chapter, it isn't my intention to Eric bash. I've protrayed him as true to the SVM cannon (Bk 1 to 9) as I was able to. Eric can be sneaky, but isn't that one reason everyone loves him so much? He's a repressed soul who is only comfortable defining his emotions by vampire standards. He hasn't been a human in over a thousand years. That's a lot of conditioning to try to undo in such a short time. Also, this chapter I think helps shed some light on to the motivations behind why Eric tricked Sookie into becoming vampire-married to him. In Part Three, this will become more clear. Especially in Part Four when Sookie has to confront all her feelings.


	13. 2: Great Reveal

PART TWO

* * *

**Great Reveal**

* * *

Sookie stood in her kitchen watching Preston intently. He was switching out the washer on her leaking faucet. The drip, drip had been a cacophony to Preston's keen senses. It was difficult for him to relax much less concentrate on anything else. There were three options left to him, rip the damn thing out of the counter, band-aid the problem with a bit of magic, or change out the washer.

As an earth fairy, he couldn't escape his nature. He was a builder, and builders were also fixers of objects. And though he could have band-aided the leaking faucet with a bit of magic, this would go contrary to his nature. An earth fairy's motto was, _anything worth doing, was worth doing right_. Craftsmanship was the corner stone of their purpose. He swiftly stood from his comfortable position on the sofa with Sookie.

She stared up at him, wide eyed and confused by the abruptness of his movement. Matter-of-factly, Preston had told her he needed to fix the faucet.

"Ok," slowly said Sookie. The next thing she knew, he was doing just that.

To Sookie what he was doing was monumental. A diamond tennis bracelet wouldn't have been remotely as effective as what he was doing at that moment. Several emotions bubbled up from inside her, all of which profoundly endeared him to her. Sookie was torn between wanting to cry with joy and wanting to ravish him.

"There," proudly announced Preston, drying his hands on a towel. Without a word, Sookie reached up and kissed him. He dropped the towel, and his hands went to her waist.

"Thank you," her voice cracked. Sookie reached her arms around him and hugged him as tightly as she could.

"You're welcome," he whispered into her hair. Preston wasn't sure what the reason for Sookie's strong reaction was, but he didn't question it. As he held her tightly in his arms, he heard the television alert in the living room.

The shifters, primarily the Weres, were going public. It had been the buzz in the supernatural communities for days. But the time and date of the reveal was kept from those not in the loop. Sookie found out that morning, not because the Shreveport pack had informed her, but from what she heard in Amelia's thoughts. Although, as a rule, Sookie stayed out of Amelia's head, it wasn't always possible when her thoughts, which were always clear, felt like they were being shouted at Sookie.

"It's time," said Preston. Sookie pulled back and Preston could see her face light with excitement. He picked up the rag that he had dropped, tossed it in the sink, and followed her into the living room. For the first time since Christmas, they had the house to themselves. After a few calls Preston confirmed that Niall would be in Faery for the reveal, which meant Preston was able to freely come over.

They settled on the sofa and watched the announcement on television. As the spokeswoman transformed on national television, Sookie wondered how everyone at Merlotte's would take the news. When she learned the reveal was happening that evening, she was surprised that Sam had agreed to let her take the time off. He had given her the time off because she deserved it, and on some level, Sookie understood this. But she was hurt that he didn't confide in her about the big news, which Sam would have, if he had the opportunity. Since the night that Pam showed up, there had been some awkward tension between them. So he did the natural thing, avoid.

"How do you think people are going to react?" Sookie asked Preston.

"I think it'll go more smoothly for them than it did for the vampires," he answered. "Shifters never preyed on humans," he pointed out, "Many are respected members of society."

"I hope it goes well," she said, running her hand over Preston's forearm. Sookie was leaning against him, her legs stretched out across the sofa.

As they listened and watched the news broadcaster, Preston could hear Sookie's relaxed breathing. He held her more securely, feeling an overwhelming need to protect her. The more time he spent with her, his desire to always be with her grew. In his world, he knew that her lifespan would increase three times of that if she were to stay in her world. For this reason, he wanted to share it with her, but it was a dangerous place for her. He would have to keep her hidden, or Niall's enemies would execute them. Or worse, they would kill her and let him live. Then his only solace would be Niall's revenge. Niall would justly kill him and Preston knew that he would welcome it.

Sookie shifted, gently burrowing herself into Preston's embrace. The special broadcast was over, and the regular programming on television resumed. Preston and Sookie stayed on the sofa, comfortably watching the episode of _Friends_ that started a few minutes after the special broadcast had ended. As they watched the show, Sookie couldn't help feeling proud of her two natured friends.

She wondered about Sam and then naturally her thoughts went to Alcide, and how they no longer had to lie or keep their existence a secret. Sookie envied the sense of relief that they would experience, unlike her and so many other supernaturals who still had to hide the truth about themselves. The idea of not having to live a double life was appealing to her.

After the sitcom was over, Sookie wondered if the fairies were thinking of coming out, and how people would react when they announced their existence. "When do you think the fairies will come out?" she asked Preston, turning so that she could face him. The idea of her fairy family not having to hide filled her with happiness.

"It will never happen," he gently said as he tenderly caressed the side of her face.

"Why?" she asked.

"We used to live in the open with humans," he answered.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Hundreds of years ago," he started, "when Christians came onto the scene, they considered us evil. They incited the masses to hunt us."

"How was that possible?" she asked, "You're supernatural."

"Humans had iron," he pointed out.

"Oh," whispered Sookie. The idea, though on the surface seemed improbable, she understood was completely feasible. She was a prime example. Given the circumstances, the chance, and the right tools, it was possible for humans to kill a supernatural. Yet it was odd to her that such unimposing things like wood and iron could kill such powerful beings.

"Do you hate them?" she asked, "I mean, Christians?"

"No," said Preston matter-of-fact, "I don't.

"That's good," she smiled. Preston raised his hand toward her again and tucked a few wild golden curls behind her ear. His eyes lingered on her soft pink lips.

"How long before your roommates return?" he asked.

"Why?" she asked.

"So that I know how much time I have for this," he said. Preston closed the small distance between them and kissed her. She parted her lips. Fire traveled up from her heart, to her throat, then south between her legs. The feeling of his sweet tongue stroking the roof of her mouth and then her tongue made her wild. His kisses, tender and longing, mingled her wants and needs into one desperate sensation. She wasn't alone in her feelings.

Preston gripped her by the hips, adjusting their positions so that Sookie was beneath him. _"Oh god yes,"_ she thought as she lost herself in Preston's caress.

She parted her legs. Preston nestled into her embrace, her legs wrapping around him. Their kiss went on and on like this until the entire world existed in their mouths. In time they began to need more, their hips pressing and moving in rhythm with the pace Preston set for them. His jeans and his bulging need were no match for the thin fabric of Sookie's panties. The friction they created was divine, and there was no end to the pleasure they were sharing.

Lost in the heated passion of their embrace, they were both oblivious to the persistent ringing of the phone in the kitchen. Not only were they unaware of the phone ringing, but they were also unmindful of Octavia's return. She made a beeline from the backdoor to the phone in the kitchen.

"Good evening," said Octavia into the receiver. It was Sam.

"Sookie, please," said Sam his words coming out incoherent. "It's urgent."

"Hold on, I'll get her," said Octavia. Carefully, she set the phone down and walked over to the door that led into the living room. "Oh my," gasped the older woman. Her clear voice rang through the living room. Sookie let out a startled cry. Quickly, Octavia found her escape back through the door that led into the kitchen.

"That was embarrassing," Sookie giggled at the sight of Octavia fleeing. Sometimes she disliked having roommates.

"I wasn't paying attention," Preston apologized. His fairy senses had been willingly consumed by Sookie. He slid his hand out from under her shirt, his fingers gently raking over her rib cage. He sat up and watched her stand and smooth out her skirt and t-shirt. The image of her made his breath hitch. Her lips were swollen and her cheeks flushed from their kiss. He wanted to do it again; kiss her.

"You're so beautiful," he said and he was rewarded by a tempting sparkle in Sookie's eyes.

"I think we should continue this in my room," she smiled.

"I told Niall I would stay out of your bed," he said. Sookie gave him a questioning look. She wasn't sure if she heard him right, but his voice and expression was serious.

"He also said not to contact me," she pointed out, thinking that if he was willing not to listen to Niall on this point, why not the other?

"Yes," admitted Preston, "But I didn't say I would." Preston was counting on this small technicality to spare him from Niall's wrath.

"Unbelievable," she mumbled. Sookie couldn't understand all the shades of gray supernaturals seemed to get hung up on.

"Sookie," Octavia called out from the other side of the door that led into the kitchen. Her voice was urgent. "It's Sam. He says it's urgent." Sookie turned from her conversation with Preston and went into the kitchen. "Sugar, I'm so sorry," whispered Octavia, "My visit with my daughter ended earlier than I planned."

"No harm done," smiled Sookie.

"Well," breathed Octavia, "Good night Sookie."

"Hello," Sookie placed the phone next to her ear, waving her hand in a good-bye/goodnight wave to Octavia.

"Sookie?" she heard Sam's strained voice, and instantly Sookie knew something was terribly wrong. She was right in the most awful way. Sam's mother had been shot by her husband, and Sam was leaving on the first flight out to Texas. Sookie assured him that she would take care of the bar while he was gone.

For a stretch of time, she sat quietly at the kitchen table.

"We could go to my house," said Preston as he entered the kitchen.

"I don't think it's a good idea," she said. Under the tragic circumstances, Sookie was no longer in the mood.

"What's wrong?" he asked, instantly picking up that something had changed. Sookie explained to him what had happened. The strain on her face from her concern and sadness for her friend left Preston feeling helpless. He would give anything to make the situation right, if only to relieve Sookie. "Come home with me," he said. Preston didn't want to think about not being with her through this, and the idea of having to stay on the sofa wasn't appealing.

"I can't," wearily said Sookie, "I have to run the bar for Sam while he's gone."

"Come home with me, and I'll bring you back in the morning," he said.

"Baton Rouge is a five hour drive," she pointed out, watching him walk toward her. Preston knelt in front of her.

"Remember when we talked about traveling through the portals?"

"Oh, no I don't think so." Preston smiled at the way Sookie said the words.

"It's perfectly safe," he assured her. "It's also possible to bring a human into our world."

"It is?" asked Sookie. She wondered if he wanted to take her there. A large part of her was burning with curiosity to see this special place Claudine had spoken to her about, but now wasn't a good time.

"Many frown on someone bringing a human into Faery," he said. Sookie noticed sadness in his voice. Despite how much he wished to share his world with her, he knew it would never be possible, as long as Niall's enemies existed.

"Preston," said Sookie, placing her hands on his shoulders. He had fallen silent for some time. "Is something wrong?"

"Everything is fine," he smiled. "Come to Baton Rouge with me. I'll take you to work in the morning." His beautiful face was pleading.

"I don't know," she whispered. The idea of _zapping_ through space was disconcerting. And she still wasn't entirely convinced of his logic for not wanting to come near her bedroom.

"I don't want to be away from you," he admitted to her, and his admission melted Sookie's heart. "I don't want just stolen moments with you," he confessed. "I want every day." Sookie's heart leapt.

"I do too," she breathed, and she meant it.

"Come with me."

It took only a split second to make up her mind. She knew she couldn't and didn't want to say no to him. "Ok," she nodded her head.

Sookie got up and gathered her toiletries, and other essentials. It took her several minutes to fill her duffle bag. When she was done, she met Preston in the kitchen where he was waiting. "I'm ready," she said nervously.

"Don't be afraid," he said gently. "Hold on tightly to me," he instructed her. If his assurances were meant to ease her nerves, he went about it the wrong way. The second the words _'don't be afraid'_ reached her ears she felt herself on the verge of panic.

"What's going to happen?" she asked.

"It won't hurt. I promise," he guaranteed her, "But whatever happens," he said, "Never let go." Again, the _'but'_ didn't engender a whole lot of security.

Reluctantly, Sookie nodded her head. Once she turned the lights off in the kitchen and locked the backdoor, Preston escorted her outside. "Close your eyes," he said as he drew Sookie into a hug. Sookie hauled in a breath and closed her eyes.

"Don't kill me," she mumbled into his chest. Preston chuckled. Sookie felt his chest gently vibrate, and she couldn't help smiling. Tucked safely in his embrace, Sookie instantly felt her skin warm and through her closed eyelids, she saw a glowing light. It was like she was being wrapped in a warm, radiant blanket. She wasn't sure what was happening. There wasn't any jostling, and there wasn't any noise except the gentle rhythmic sound of Preston's heartbeat.

When nothing more happened, curiosity got the better of her. She slowly opened her eyes, squinting from the brilliance of the golden light that enveloped her. Her eyes began to sting and hurt. It was like trying to stare into the sun. She quickly closed her eyes, and instantly she felt relief.

Several long seconds later through her closed eyelids she felt the golden warm light that had surrounded her disappear.

"We're here," said Preston. Little by little, Sookie opened her eyes. It was dark except for the dim light coming in through the windows. She pulled back and surveyed her surroundings. They were in a room flanked by four tall windows. "I'm going to turn the lights on," said Preston, "Don't move. I don't want you to fall."

"Ok," she said. With what little light was coming in from the outside, she could barely make out Preston's figure moving about. He flicked on the lights. It took Sookie a second for her eyes to adjust.

"This is where I live," he said. His lips turned up in a bashful smile, which Sookie found absolutely adorable and endearing.

She drew her attention away from his handsome face, and scanned the room. It was one open space. From where she stood, the kitchen had no upper cabinets. The olive green base cabinets had a worn, antique patina, which was carried over in the long island that separated the kitchen from the rest of the space. Next to where she stood, by the location of the brown upholstered sofa and leather loveseat, she was in the living room. His apartment was flanked by two walls of tall windows. On the other walls clustered groups of artwork and photographs hung. It looked like any normal apartment. If she knocked down a few walls on first floor of her Gran's house, it would be about the same square footage as Preston's first floor.

"Let me show you upstairs," he said. Sookie's eyes went up toward the loft area. "Here, let me," he said gesturing to her duffle bag. Sookie removed the bag from around her shoulder and handed it to Preston. She followed him up the staircase.

The entire top level was open to below. The master suite took up the entire space. Like the rest of his home, it was minimally decorated with furniture and fabrics in warm earth tones. At the center of the room was a large bed. It seemed huge to Sookie compared to her full size bed. Preston's bed, however, had no footboard or headboard. Instead, from the ceiling over the bed, like a canopy, hung long simple tan linen drapes with white lining.

After the rest of the tour, Sookie found herself relaxing under the shower, enjoying the hot water and the massage setting of the shower head. She hadn't been scheduled to work the next day, but that changed when Sam called her. Her day would have to start early, which meant eight in the morning. When she padded out of the bathroom, clean and in her night gown, Preston came up the steps with a white coffee mug.

"I brought you some tea," he said, "It'll help you sleep." Sookie gave him an inquiring look. "It's not magic," he assured her, knowing how she was squeamish about such things. "It's just lavender and chamomile."

"Oh," said Sookie, towel drying her hair. Preston placed the mug on the side table. "Thank you," she smiled. Preston leaned over and kissed her.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said. Sookie nodded and watched him disappear into the bathroom. For an instant she wanted to watch him, but she resisted the temptation.

Instead she sat on the edge of the bed, and drank her tea, which smelled and tasted good. It warmed her from the inside, and before she realized it, she had finished more than half of the tea. Feeling completely relaxed, she leaned back onto the bed. A smile spread across her face.

Preston's fragrance enveloped her. His scent had become part of the fabric that was her life – familiar and comforting. As she lay on his comfortable bed, her eye lids grew heavier, and before she realized it she fell asleep. ~


	14. 2: Ready to Love Again

**CAUTION: This chapter contains adult content.**

**A/N: **_As I was revising and editing this chapter, Lady Antebellum's song "Ready to Love Again", struck a chord that truly resonated with me. I felt this song captured the essence of the journey Sookie traveled in this chapter but also since meeting Preston. If you know the song, you'll catch a few of the lyrics here and there through this chapter._

* * *

PART TWO

**Ready to Love Again**

* * *

Gradually, the morning sun filled the loft with a warm glow. Sookie stirred as she began to wake up. Her eyes opened, and slowly the room came into focus. Preston's arm rested against her waist. She must have been sleeping soundly, because she didn't remember feeling him putting her under the sheets or snuggling next to her. By the sound of his breathing, Sookie could tell he was still sleeping. A quick glance at the clock on the night table on her side of the bed told her it was still early. She had a few hours before she had to be at Merlotte's. Content to stay in bed, she rested her head back on the pillow, and draped her arm over Preston's. Waking up in his arms was something she could easily do every day.

Slowly, so not to wake him, Sookie turned to face him. Laying next to him, she marveled at how peaceful, beautiful, and tempting he looked in his sleep. A smile lit her face. Somehow, because he was a fairy, she had imagined that he levitated or glowed while he slept. Instead, he looked human. Other than looking deliciously gorgeous, he didn't seem any different from her.

Tousled hair and all, he was as much flesh and blood as she was. As she admired him, she began to feel a new sensation. It wasn't necessarily new, for it had always been there growing quietly in her heart. She really liked him—more than liked him. Was she falling in love?

"_The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," _she mused privately. Like her Gran, she found herself a fairy on her property. She wasn't sure what it was about the women in her family that attracted these beautiful creatures. If Fintan was as kindhearted and as beautiful as Preston, it wasn't too hard to see why her Gran couldn't resist him. She wished she knew if Gran had loved Fintan. But there was no sense in asking questions that could never be answered.

There was nothing, though, she wouldn't give to have at least one day with her Gran. Ever since she lost her, Sookie had felt like she'd been in the dark and walking in the wrong direction. What would her Gran think of her life and choices, especially everything that she'd been through with the vampires? Her entire life was a strange paradox to Sookie. How was it possible that when she met the vampires it felt like she started living, and at the same time, she barely recognized her own reflection sometimes?

Ever since she met Bill, her life had never been the same. In some ways, Sookie welcomed the change, but in other ways she didn't. As she studied Preston lying next to her, she realized that since Bill, she'd been afraid of loving again. She had cared for Quinn, but she had built up a wall around her heart, and eventually, if it hadn't been for his actions, their relationship wouldn't have worked out. But all that was in the past_. _

"_It's time to let it go, all of it,"_ she told herself.

As she considered Preston, she wanted to feel alive again. Being with him reawakened her dreams for the things that she thought she could never have. So even with the possibility of getting hurt looming over her, there was too much to gain not to risk everything.

Sookie sat up, pulling her gown over her head. "Preston," she pressed his shoulder so that he was on his back.

"Mmm?" he quietly asked. Sookie sat astride him. Physically, he instantly registered her soft and warm feminine body grinding against his, and he hardened.

"I'm ready," she whispered in his ear, nibbling on his lobe. Preston's eyes opened. His hands glided over her bare back. At first he thought he was dreaming, until he felt her sugary tongue on his lips.

"Sookie?" he breathed drawing her closer. She tasted like lavender. Under his hands, he held her silky warm body against his. He kissed her deeply until they needed oxygen more than the breath they shared.

"It's time," Sookie said breathless. It was time for her to welcome the daylight. Preston's fingers gently brushed her hair back, exposing her neck and shoulder. He kissed her soft bare neck, trailing kisses along the side.

"I adore you," he whispered between his kisses. Sookie's hands reached under his shirt. Her soft hands moved smoothly over his rib cage. His body quivered under her small fingers. He helped her remove it, tossing it away from them. Sookie leaned in, pressing her warm breasts against his bare chest.

Their mouths met again, lingering in the pleasure of the union, their hunger growing. Touching so much of her body with his, strengthened his connection with her, heightening every touch until he was certain that the Summerlands existed in her embrace.

With fairy speed, Preston gently positioned her under him.

"Make love to me." Her expression and her voice were laced with yearning.

"Yes my lady," he whispered. His eyes moved slowly over her skin, and the pleasure in his face filled Sookie with pride. Preston quietly admired her supple breasts. She was his idea of perfection. "For as long as life exists, you deserve to be loved," he said. Slowly he leaned forward, and tenderly, he kissed a silky bud. She let out a gentle breath.

"Preston," her voice trembled, "Oh Jesus." She was overcome with a pleasure bordering on the divine. His tongue was smooth and warm; not cold, not hot, not rough. It was perfect. Sookie laced her fingers through his soft chocolate hair. As Preston twirled his tongue, biting, sucking, Sookie felt the bands around her heart crumble, unwrapping, and setting her free.

She was ready to love again.

Preston lingered, patiently pleasuring her, loving her, making certain he had fully drawn every pleasure he could give her. She begged him incoherently, her body both drawing away from his mouth, away from the agony of the pleasure and then toward him begging him for more of the sweet torture.

When he felt through his connection that it was time, he moved over and equally worshiped her other breast. Her breathing and moans rapidly grew into wild erotic cries. Under his hold over her, he felt her chest quivering with her silent tears. He drew back slightly. "Don't stop," she begged him, enjoying the sensation of needing to burst with pleasure. His lips drew upward in a smile. "Yes my lady," he assured her.

He leaned forward again, relishing the softness, and the miracle of their connection. Sookie gasped, her body wildly begging for freedom from the bindings his mouth was creating inside her body.

Like the first time, Preston knew the exact moment to move. Sookie's body writhed, swaying in a dance of desire, like liquid, washing over her. Preston gazed into the ocean that stirred in her blue eyes. His tongue glided over her lip, and she opened welcoming him. As her mouth exploded with the pleasure his tongue gave her, Preston's hands were spreading heat out and over her body.

The bindings Preston had created inside of her were tightening. She couldn't wait any longer without feeling like death would cheat her of her prize. "Please," her voice trembled. Preston freed himself from her embrace. His fingers reached for the delicate fabric of her panties. She lifted her hips, and he freed her.

"I want you," his voice was like liquid velvet, "I've wanted you from the first moment I saw you."

"You can have me now," she loved the way her voice sounded: sultry. "Take me now," she said, letting her legs fall open for him, and she almost died from the torrential and all consuming waves of passion, as she watched him position himself. Preston's body quivered with restraint, as he slowly took possession of her.

"Oh Sookie," he gasped erotically. The loft was instantly filled with the heated sounds of their union.

Preston watched her with amazement. Her generosity and tenderness welded his heart to hers. She was everything to him. "I love you," he said, his voice smooth as silk. The way her body swayed from his touch, intoxicated him. "My lady," he moaned, "so sweet." He could spend his lifetime learning every detail of her body; inside and out.

"Yes," she cried, lifting her legs up and around his hips. "Wonderful," she whimpered and groaned. The way he moved within her was like heaven on earth. Her insides had ached for a breath she wasn't able to take until the very moment that he filled her from inside.

Her body glistened with beads of sweat forming over her skin.

Preston could feel her muscles tightening around him; massaging him. She was at the brink of her orgasm. The pressure his movements inside her created, and her body clenching around him – the perfect caress, she was quickly propelling him toward his own climax.

He was enslaved to her. There wasn't anything that he wouldn't give for her to share her life with him.

"Preston!" she screamed with ecstasy. Her fingers reached for his hips, begging him. She trembled and writhed as he continued to claim her. Preston was overwhelmed with emotions. He needed her closer to him. With his free arm he slid it underneath her waist and held her closer and tighter; every inch of his body that could was touching her. Sookie dug her heels into his thighs. Her back arched as she continued to explode with a billion pieces of pleasure.

"Ahh," Preston groaned erotically. Sookie's body tensed drawing him with her to claim his prize.

Breathless and trembling, they clung to each other, neither wanting to separate. Sookie's hands lovingly stroked the long planes of his back as he tried to catch his breath. With his elbows he tried to support as much of his weight. He was bigger and heavier than Sookie. He ran his hands through her hair, and tenderly kissed her on her bare shoulder.

Preston moaned, feeling her body tightening around him, milking him, with the aftershocks of her climax.

"We should've done this the first night we met," she smiled, running her soft long legs over his, enjoying how wonderful it felt to be with him like this.

"Yes," he wholeheartedly agreed. Preston lifted his head to see her. He leaned forward and kissed her. She accepted his long and gentle kiss. He didn't break the connection their bodies entwined was creating. Through the spark that they shared, he could feel her inside of himself, and he wondered if she could feel him as well. Moments later, his wondering ceased.

For even though the words were not spoke, he loved her and he could feel his love reciprocated.

In the perfect silence that enveloped them, they lay in each other's embrace, until the heat that they had created subsided, leaving them happy and content with their new love.

"Will you need help running the bar?" he asked her, "I can help."

"You've helped me already," she smiled, flexing her inner muscles around him.

"Sookie," he breathed. The sensation surprised him. "You're delicious," he said, giving her a love bite. Sookie giggled with pleasure.

They easily made love a few more times before starting their day. ~

**END OF PART TWO**

* * *

**A/N:** Aren't I good to you guys? So you know, Part Three should be coming in about two weeks. I know that seems like a long way off. I'm sorry. But I made sure I left you a nice lemony treat. If RL cooperates I'll bring Part Three to you sooner.

Also, I initially downloaded a few chapters out of order in Part Two. I caught it right away and fixed it, but not before the email alerts were sent out. So I apologize for any confusion. I wasn't sure if I would be able to upload all of the chapters for Part Two today. But I did it. :D

As always, reviews are appreciated.


	15. 3: Magic at Merlotte

_Definition:  
**Credenza** - _A piece of office furniture having a long flat top; a buffet, sideboard, or bookcase, especially one without legs.

* * *

_PART THREE  
_**Magic at Merlotte's**

* * *

After their morning marathon of lovemaking, Preston stood leaning against the doorjamb into his bathroom. He more than liked how his home looked with Sookie in it. It was a sight he wanted to see every morning. His eyes were fixed on her as she went through her morning ritual. There were no words but one that could describe the very strong and persistent emotions Preston has felt when he not only thought of Sookie, but when he was near her.

Love.

Admiring her silently, he could feel the power of what he felt for her changing him.

Sookie was aware of Preston watching her. She couldn't help but grin. He was so cute watching her attentively as she delicately applied her mascara and lip gloss, although his attention made her feel like she was performing brain surgery.

In the mirror Sookie watched as he stepped behind her.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered in her ear, trailing kisses up the curve of her neck.

"You shouldn't do that," her voice was low and raspy. Preston flicked his tongue in her ear. He learned quickly that she particularly enjoyed that.

"You smell so good," he nibbled and licked. Sookie quickly found herself loosing her resolve to be on time to work. Carefully, Preston glided his hand under the lapel of her neckline, easing his way in and under her lace bra and caressing the delicate flesh beneath his hands.

A chiming melody echoed through the loft and into the bathroom as Sookie's cell phone started ringing.

"I have to get that," she breathed.

"No, you don't," he replied, rolling her nipple between his thumb and finger. With a moan, she melted into his chest, her head slowly swaying.

The chiming continued insistently. Whoever it was, they were persistent.

"I really need to get it." Taking advantage of the small clarity the chiming of her cell phone offered her, she quickly turned away from her temptation. "Don't move," she smiled rushing past him, but she wasn't quick enough. Preston caught her hand. "Really, I need to get it," she giggled, tucking at her hand to get away, "It might be important."

"They can leave a message." He drew her toward him and kissed her.

"Preston," she whispered. His fingers glided up and down her neck as his tongue glided erotically over every surface of her mouth. She was jell-o in his hands. "That's not fair," she drew back to catch her breath; her lids heavy with longing.

Her cell phone began to chime again. Its piercing tone cleared her mind.

"I really need to get that," she implored him. Her eyes betrayed that she would surrender with only one more kiss.

"Fine," Preston pouted. Whoever the caller was, they were persistent, which Preston was sure meant it was probably important. Sookie giggled as she tried to pull away. Preston released her chuckling as she ran to answer her cell phone.

The moment she answered it, she regretted not listening to Preston when he told her to ignore it. But it was a good thing that she hadn't. There was a delivery for the bar and no one to receive it. That meant she had to leave almost immediately.

"I gotta go," she told Preston, explaining about the delivery.

"Ok," he sighed, "You want to go now?"

"I need just a few minutes."

"I'll be down stairs." It was hard for Preston to be next to her and not touch her. And if he touched her again, it wouldn't be enough. So he turned and disappeared down the steps.

True to her words, a few minutes later Sookie made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Ready?" asked Preston, sitting his coffee mug down on the counter.

"Yeah," she sighed, "As ready as I'll ever be." She placed her empty coffee mug into the sink. As much as she would have enjoyed continuing their foreplay upstairs, she really needed to get to work.

"Where should I pick you up?" he asked. Sookie took the few steps that lay between them and buried her face into his chest.

"I'd like to get some clean clothes," she said, "Pick me up from home?"

"Ok," he said, "To Bon Temps then?" Sookie nodded her head and closed her eyes as Preston wrapped his arms around her. Gently, he squeezed her and kissed her on the head. She inhaled softly, snuggling closer into his embrace.

A few short moments later she felt herself enveloped in a golden white light accompanied by complete stillness. All she could hear was the rhythmic beating of Preston's heart. She wondered what it was like for him _zapping_ places.

About the time that Sookie couldn't resist opening her eyes, through her closed lids she saw the light disappear. Sookie slowly opened her eyelids, taking a few seconds to get her bearings. She glanced around them. They were standing in her backyard.

"We're here," he said looking down at Sookie as she turned her head up to look at him.

"I'll see you later," she smiled, reaching up on her toes, her hands on his shoulders, and kissed him. Reluctantly, Preston let her go and watched as she made her way to her car. Once she was safely inside, and pulling away down her gravel driveway, Preston left for Baton Rouge.

Sookie hurried as quickly as she could to get to the bar. When she arrived the delivery man was waiting for her. He was real nice about the mix-up and even helped Sookie by bringing in the cases.

The moment she stepped into Merlotte's though, she was quickly immersed in the chaos of running the bar.

"_It figured,"_ she thought quietly as she stacked the shelves in the storage room. Just as her life had come together, Sam's life had fallen apart. When he'd call later to check up on the bar, she could already tell that she would have to make a great effort to assure him everything was going good. She only hoped Sam would be home soon. So far the anxiety of running the bar, dealing with vendors, scheduling shifts for the next two days, and receiving and ordering supplies, was overwhelming. And that was just barely half a day.

The bar wasn't even open yet for lunch and Sookie was already exhausted.

She began to consider Preston's offer to help and she wondered if there was a bit of magic he could conjure up to make sure business ran smoothly. She knew it was possible, because Claude used his magic, much to Claudine's mortification, to boost Hooligan's liquor sells.

"Sookie," she heard Holly's voice. Glancing up between the shelves, Sookie saw her at the doorway that led into the storage room.

"Yeah?" Holly's eyes darted over to where Sookie's voice originated from, and smiled when she saw her head appear between the two shelves.

"There's some guy here," she explained. "He says its urgent business for you."

"Alright," Sookie sighed. "I'll be right there." Holly smiled and turned on her heels and disappeared down the hall. When Sookie made her way to the front, she saw Bobby, Eric's day man, waiting for her. His appearance immediately put her on guard as her thoughts raced to Pam's visit several days ago.

"Miss Stackhouse," he started up immediately seeing Sookie's irritation. "My master requests your attendance at a sit-down with the new king's lieutenant this evening."

"Tonight?"

"Yes, at seven. Victor Madden will be there."

"I already have plans," said Sookie, "_plans to have amazing mind blowing sex with my boyfriend again." _Sookie wasn't aware of the special connection her spark allowed her to have with Preston. She was only keenly aware of how she felt whenever he touched her. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before, and she assumed correctly that it was indeed a fairy thing. She felt his touch over every inch of her skin and there were times when he touched her that she thought she could feel him inside of her.

"My Master said to relate to you that your attendance is imperative," said Bobby. Sookie gave him a doubtful glare. She had misgivings over the _imperativeness_. Her attendance hadn't been needed in two months. Then Sam had gone and stuck his noise in her business, Pam had shown up questioning her about her love life, and now Bobby had shown up saying it's _"imperative" _that she appear at Fangtasia. It all seemed too coincidental to Sookie to believe how _"imperative"_ her appearance was. "_Truly," _she silently scoffed. What was so urgent that she had to drop what she was doing and run to Shreveport? If it was a job, Eric could relay it to her over the phone.

"Fine," said Sookie. "It's such short notice. I can't adjust my schedule at the last minute."

Bobby cleared his throat and something between shock, offense, and panic threatened his businessman veneer. Sookie had put up her guard to block out unwanted thoughts the second she saw Bobby. So she wasn't exactly sure what caused his expression except to conclude it was his general dislike of her. Bobby reached into his bag. "He requested that you bring this and present it to him in front of Victor." Sookie took the velvet wrapped box.

"Are you able to deliver Eric my message?" Sookie asked not the bit interested in the contents of the box.

"Miss Stackhouse?" he cleared his throat, "I was told to deliver you my Master's message and to express to you the urgency of the matter."

"Fine," snapped Sookie. "Message delivered. Please let Eric know," Sookie's demeanor took on an exaggerated formality, "that Miss Stackhouse, because of a prior engagement, will be unable to accept his kind invitation for a _sit-down._" She turned on her heels and disappeared into the hallway. As she passed the office she plopped the box on Sam's desk.

Back in the storage room she pulled her cell phone from her pants pocket and dialed Preston's number.

"I miss you too," he answered his phone. Sookie grinned from ear to ear, and instantly she felt all the tension of the morning evaporate. She was radiant with the glow of new love.

"I miss you too," she beamed. "Remember when you asked if I needed help with the bar?"

"Yes, what can I do?"

"Well," Sookie cleared her throat. Hesitantly, she continued, "Is it possible to use some magic to help out?"

"Sure," he said without batting an eye. "I'll be right over. I'd like one of those Lafayette burgers."

"Ok," giggled Sookie. "I'll have D'Eriq start on that."

"See you in a few minutes." Preston closed his cell phone and went about cleaning up.

Moments later he was teleporting to Merlotte's. Even though it had been four hours since he last saw her, he couldn't help vibrate with anticipation at seeing her. It took him only seconds to arrive, and even that was too long. He stepped out of the portal and into the woods surrounding Merlotte's.

Confidently he walked to the front of the bar. Standing a few feet from the front entrance, Preston felt the familiar tingling sensation in his hands as he conjured up a spell. It took only a few seconds to secure the spell into place. The scent of his magic lingered around Merlotte's.

All fairies, be them pureblood or changeling, left behind a sort of fingerprint when working with magic. So Preston immediately turned his attention to concealing any traces of his 'magical' fingerprints. A few seconds later, the scent of wild mushrooms and oak disappeared, and in its place was a combination of burned hair and fabric softener. Preston stood back; hands tucked in his pockets, and studied his handiwork.

"_It'll do," _he told himself proudly. Satisfied, he stepped into Merlotte's, his eyes immediately scanning the bar for signs of Sookie. A smile spread across his face. It took only a moment before he spotted her at the far end delivering plates to a table. She had worn her hair down, the top and sides were pulled away from her face and clipped in the back. His eyes followed the creamy texture of her cheek down to her jaw and to the soft mounds forming her lips.

She was about to turn around, but another table signaled to her. She turned the opposite direction and walked over to the man and woman. Preston was mesmerized by Sookie's elegant movements. His eyes darted around and he couldn't understand how no one even noticed how breathtaking she was?

"We're ready to go now," said the woman. Her husband handed Sookie a large bill.

"Sure thing," smiled Sookie. "How was everything?" she asked and the middle aged couple, who were just passing along from Monroe to Shreveport to visit family, assured her that the meal was good. "I'll get you your change." Sookie turned, glancing up toward the door. She had heard the bell ring when the front door opened.

Her face instantly glowed with recognition and happiness. She felt small quivers of ecstasy ripple from her core; her body recognized him. His warm soulful eyes, softened. Sookie's heart radiated with warmth. She gestured with her finger for him to take a booth. Preston nodded and took a seat in the direction she had pointed in. Content to sit and watch her, he waited.

A liquid heat pulsed through her veins. It had been almost three months since she had last had sex, but Preston did a magnificent job at making up for the lost time. Her body was sore in all the right places. A delicious sensation warmed her as she felt his eyes tracing every curve of her body.

Sookie picked up change from the cash register and dropped it off to the couple from Monroe. The entire way she stole a few glances at Preston. His eyes met hers a few times and she felt herself blush. Before heading to the pick-up window where her and Preston's order was waiting, she stopped for several seconds to talk with Holly. She agreed to cover the two tables in her section so Sookie could take a break. Sookie walked over toward Preston and delivered his burger and coke.

"Thank you," he smiled sliding over to make room for Sookie. She suddenly felt a pinch at the back of her throat. None of her previous beaus had ever done that for her– slide over so she could sit next to them instead of across from them. With a smile she scooted next to Preston. "I'm glad you called," he said leaning over and kissing her.

"Me too," she sighed. She felt herself relax from head to toe now that Preston was near her. She turned and stirred her chicken salad in front of her. Once the lunch hour peak would hit, she wouldn't get a chance to eat anything until at least three, so she decided to join Preston with an early lunch.

"It's done," announced Preston proudly.

"No kidding. What's done?" she asked pressing her shoulder against his, unconsciously wanting and needing to touch him.

"The spell," he said. "Everyone who crosses those doors will be irritatingly happy and generous." Preston winked.

"Thank you," Sookie beamed.

They ate and savored their meal together spending most of their time quietly eating, their bodies maintaining some contact, whether at the shoulders, hips, legs, or feet. For a split second, Sookie had wished she had been wearing flip flops. She craved the warmth of his skin.

"What have you been up to all morning?" she asked between bites.

"I've been rubbing out a finish on a credenza."

Most purebloods preferred Faery to the Realm of Men. Many fae were either too shy or afraid of iron and of the past, when humans clashed with the fae, to venture onto this side of the gates that linked both worlds. But others, like Preston, preferred this side of the gate. He enjoyed the purpose and activity that daily living in this realm required, not to mention the conveniences like computers and cell phones.

"I have to deliver the credenza to a client's home the day after tomorrow," he shared.

"You still haven't shown me any of your work," she pointed out.

"After you get off," Preston dropped his hand under the table and took Sookie's hand. "I'll show you," he said. He gave her an affectionate squeezed. A gentle breath slipped between her lips.

"I'd like that."

"How has your day been?" Preston asked before taking his last bite of his burger and fries.

"Well," Sookie paused to take a drink of her soda. "The delivery went well. I put away most of it, a customer came in upset because I guess her card was charged twice a few days ago, another customer called to see if a cell phone was turned in, and I guess I'm being summoned for a sit down with the Area Five Sherriff and the King of Nevada's lieutenant."

"What?" Preston asked a bit enthusiastically, earning stares from everyone in the bar. With only a handful of people in Merlotte's, Preston's voice had carried loud and clear. Even D'Eriq popped his head out of the pick-up window.

Sookie had hoped to avoid the subject all together, but since she'd conveniently forgotten to mention the Pam thing, she had figured she should mention the '_summoning_' thing. She just wasn't quite expecting Preston's enthusiasm. Yet again, perhaps she had been and that was why she had let the subject of Pam slip her mind.

"Are you done with lunch?" she asked, her eyes darting to his plate.

"Yes, but—"

"We'll talk about it in the office." Sookie wasn't comfortable having this conversation in front of her co-workers. Airing a couple's dirty laundry in public was on Sookie's list of social faux pas.

"Fine." Preston slid out of the booth following Sookie toward the hallway that would lead to Sam's office.

Sookie gave Holly a reassuring smile and a look that successfully conveyed to Holly that she was going to be doing some '_boyfriend management'_. Holly winked at Sookie. They had just opened up for lunch. So with the exception of the employees, Preston, and their first three tables it was slow, and the volume was nothing that Holly couldn't handle for a while.

Sookie made a beeline down the hall and into Sam's office, with Preston at her heels.

"Why are you being summoned?" Preston asked the second Sookie went to shut the office door. His tone was quick and short. "Does Niall know?"

Preston disliked that Sookie had kept company with vampires. Though she had shared with him that her past lovers included two vampires, it was something that was in the past tense. Thus for Preston they held no threat. But that all changed the second she said she had been summoned.

Instantaneously, his mind became his prime enemy. Scenes, all imagined, of Sookie in the throes of passion with her old vampire lover flooded his mind. So it was clear that Sookie being summoned wasn't exactly the issue, but more with the fact that it was one of Sookie's old lovers who was doing the _summoning _that didn't sit well with Preston. If it was truly a request for her assistance that was one thing, but if Eric intended on a rendezvous, then that was a completely different story.

Like his male counterparts in the animal kingdom, Preston's primal male need to protect his territory surfaced. Fairies in particular were protective of _their_ females. Fairy history had had a few wars in it that were started over challenges to their proprietary rights to certain females. Unconsciously the edges of his teeth sharpened, his human disguise was fading, and his body released a territorial pheromone.

Sookie was his female. ~

* * *

**A/N: **_Sorry for the delay. "Magic at Merlotte's" is setting up for things to come in Part Three. As you may have noticed, I've changed the rating to this story. This decision was based on the adult content that Part Three will be featuring. I've been working intensively on edits to the next chapter, so this is the reason for the delay. I had hoped to bring you at least two chapters, but it wasn't possible. But I feel you'll appreciate the rewrites to the next chapter._


	16. 3: Instinctual

**Updated: **8/15/11

**CAUTION: This chapter contains adult content.**

* * *

PART THREE

**Instinctual**

* * *

Sookie could've kicked herself for not waiting to bring up Eric until they were home. She closed the door to Sam's office and turned to face Preston.

Instantly, her brow arched.

Preston's eyes were feral.

Her pulse quickened.

The untamed wildness in his gaze startled her and at the same time it excited her. He seemed to be taller than she remembered. His ears that he usually kept rounded, were now curved to elegant points.

He was beautiful. Dangerous.

Something quiet and powerful was happening.

"This isn't the first time I've been summoned by the vampires," she stated. Her voice betraying what her body was feeling.

Preston's mating instincts had kicked in. His body had released a pheromone, which filled the space between them. Unknown to her or Preston, almost instantly, Sookie's body processed the pheromone, accepting him. The stimulation began to awaken her instincts.

"And I don't keep Niall apprised of my itinerary," she added as she studied him, her pleasure at seeing Preston so feral, increased. He was fuming, and he made it look sexy.

"What does he want?" demanded Preston feeling himself distracted. The quiet changes taking place in Sookie's body were exciting him. Her chest rose in sync with her quickening breath; her pupils dilated. Preston watched as her lips swelled and reddened to perfection. Her eyes, lips and body enthralled him.

"Preston," she said his name like it was a promise of possession. She stepped closer to him. His eyes trailed over her exposed skin, along the slop of her neck toward the dip where her polo shirt was unbuttoned. He could see her skin glistening with excitement.

Sookie's attention focused on the handsome features of his face; from the heat in his soulful and wild eyes to his perfectly chiseled lips.

A flash flood of sensations swept them away.

Greedily Preston bombarded Sookie's mouth. With a ravenous appetite, she returned his kiss with a fervor that rivaled his. "Agh," he groaned into their wild kiss. Sookie's fingers dug into his shoulders. But he didn't stop the onslaught of his tongue over hers.

As their kiss went on and on, desperately Sookie grinded her self against him.

Animalistic sounds permeated the air around them. Preston grabbed her tightly by her arms, yanking her closer and forcing her to her toes. His grip glided in a downward motion as he allowed her to raise her arms over his shoulders. She tangled her fingers through his dark mane, pulling him deeper into their passionate kiss. But even Preston needed air as much as she. There seemed to be no time to breathe and conquer at once.

When the lack of air was too much, they broke their unbridled kiss. Sookie's chest heaved as she gasped for air.

Before she could recover Preston's strong hands tore at her polo shirt. Drunk with both her lust and Preston's, she watched helplessly as he yanked her bra down, folding it onto itself. Her breast spilled over; ripe for the taking. Savagely, Preston's mouth consumed her tender flesh.

"Ouch," Sookie shrieked, digging her nails into the backs of his arms. Preston's teeth around her breast hurt and fueled her hunger. Her body writhed with pleasure and pain. She panted for air, swallowing her cries. Mercilessly, Preston's onslaught went on and on. As her body pulled away to gain freedom from his savage feeding, her hands cupped his sensitive pointed ears, keeping his mouth locked over her throbbing breast. Low toned moans, yelps, and groans escaped between her lips.

Under Preston's attack, the source of her searing lust grew wetter; the flesh between her legs more swollen and hungrier. She couldn't ignore the throbbing. Releasing one hand from Preston's ear, her fingers greedily searched for her core; moaning.

"No," Preston snarled, sending a spine-tingling pulse down Sookie's back. He gripped her by her hips and turned her to face the desk.

"_Oh sweet Jesus," _Sookie panted. Reaching out, she gripped the edges of the desk and braced herself. Delirium raced through her veins.

In front of her, was the small unopened black velvet box. She stared at it, her eyes glossing over. She had no idea what was inside it. Her only coherent question was how much longer did she have to wait before Preston would be inside her?

"Ahh," she grunted.

Preston mercilessly yanked her pants down, tearing the delicate fabric of her panties. Sookie trembled with fear and ecstasy. "Not here," she rasped. _"Please hurry." _Her body vibrated with yearning.

A barrage of erotic sensations assaulted her, making her fear for her soul. She braced herself for what she prayed would come next. Sookie was too eager to be desecrated by him. She arched her back, her hips rising, offering herself to him.

Standing over her like a predator his chest heaved as his eyes raked over her creamy and firm round flesh.

A low rumbling vibrated from the depths of Preston's chest. His senses were assaulted by Sookie's wet arousal. He inhaled deeply her sweet muskiness as his hands caressed her vulnerable flesh, eliciting a seductive moan from her.

With one fleeting thought Preston conjured a _"S__tay away"_ spell over the office.

"Open your legs more," he demanded and Sookie did as he said. With shaky legs she stepped out of her pants and parted her legs.

She trembled.

Sookie inhaled sharply. The sound of his zipper opening sent a quiver of anticipation washing over her.

"Na," she gasped. "_Yesohyes." _With one thrust, he plunged inside her wet hot core. "Please," she groaned; both in protest and in approval. Two sides of her competed for dominance; decorum verses abandonment. "Presst," she hissed. Her back arched and her body pleaded for more of him, smacking her bottom against his hips. "Oh god," Sookie groaned. Swimming in the raw erotic haze Preston created for her, Sookie could sense that she should pull herself together before someone walked in on them, but she just couldn't muster the strength or care. "Oh sweet Jesus," she whimpered. Twisting. Wiggling. Both vulnerable and desperate. Her hips frantically reached for Preston's thrusts.

"That's it," he groaned as he felt himself wrapped completely inside her. Crouched over her, his feral eyes relished in the wild fit Sookie's body made. Her hips seductively rolled; swayed; dared the animal in him to find his fulfillment.

"Don't stop," her voice shook. "Don't ever stop." She heaved her pelvis toward his onslaught.

"_Mine,"_ an animalistic growl rumbled from deep inside his chest. She was so tight; so wet. His cock grew in berth inside her, stretching her, readying them both for his seed.

The weight of her body was becoming too much. She writhed and convulsed under Preston's ministrations. She dropped her chest, only to feel the velvety texture of Eric's box against her forehead. The soft yet rough texture grazed her skin as her head rubbed against it, with each demanding thrust of Preston's hips.

Sookie was inebriated with the licentious act that Preston was performing on her.

Desperate for room, she shoved the velvet box away from her. It fell behind the desk and to the floor. Sookie dropped forward and buried her titillating cries into her hands, muffling the sounds she couldn't help but make.

"Shhh," Preston cautioned her before she could be heard down the hall. _"You'll be the sweet end of me,"_ he admitted. Under his hands, Sookie was so soft and her scent so alluring. Preston was not immune, nor did he ever want to be unaffected by the maddening sweet aroma of her arousal.

For a fraction of time, consumed by his instincts to protect her from being taken from him, he had let his guard down. It had been just long enough that Preston had marked her with his scent.

From the moment he first saw her, he had wanted to mark her as his mate, but he had restrained himself. Eventually, he would have done this with her consent. Now it was too late. It was something that couldn't be taken back.

They were now on a path with only one outcome.

Suddenly Sookie's body pitched and for a split second everything went silent.

"I love you," she cried out as she swiftly fractured. Her walls clamped around Preston possessively. In a flash she had exploded, her body pumping Preston's hard rod.

He increased his efforts, as his hands hungrily caressed her waist, rocking her and helping her ride the sweet wave of her pinnacle. His eyes were transfixed on the creamy contours of her back, her sensuous hips, and the round spheres of her bottom. Her form captivated him; drew to the surface his most primitive side. He increased his efforts, pounding into her soft body.

At any moment Sookie was sure she would split.

"Ahh," she groaned. Preston's fingers dug into her hips, his own hips slamming against her. "Yes," she grunted feeling another orgasm rushing to take her captive. "Faster," she demanded. With white knuckles she held firmly to the edges of the desk and shoved her hips to meet his assault. He impaled her further with his manhood. Her back arced and she was lost again to another orgasm.

With an earthy groan Preston joined her; his hot seed exploding deep inside her. Her body pulsated, pumping, demanding every ounce of his life force. Completely drained, Preston's knees buckled. Swiftly he reached out and braced himself against the desk on either side of Sookie's body.

Panting, they laid still, wordlessly, lost in the erotic aftershocks that had swept through them.

It took several long moments before their breath returned. And it took a few more for Preston to regain his strength. Once he had, he leaned down and tenderly he began to trail kisses along the delicate slope of Sookie's back. His lips worshiped her.

Sookie was his mate.

In his fae tongue, Preston pledged himself to her.

Sookie could hear him chanting something in a foreign language. It seemed like a prayer. She didn't know what he was saying, but the feeling he conveyed in his touch and in his voice told her that she belonged to him, or perhaps that he belonged to her. He seemed to touch her as if she were God herself. His caress was reverent. Sookie felt his devotion in each kiss, each touch, and each word that he spoke. For a split second she wondered if it was blasphemy.

"Did you like that?" he whispered huskily, returning to her neck.

"Yes," she breathed relishing the heavenly feeling he bathed her in.

"Tell me how much you liked it," he gently spoke into her ear, pulling her lobe between his lips.

Sookie inhaled. Soft moans escaped her lips.

At the height of her passion, she had confessed her new love. She was stunned at hearing her own admission. "_Was it possible," _she wondered, to love someone so passionately after only a few months?

All she was certain of was that the words had felt true. And she was right.

With one last kiss, Preston helped her up. As he tugged his pants up, Sookie drew up her bra from around her torso. Her polo shirt was ruined, and for a flash she was thankful that Sam kept the extra uniforms in the office closet. She reached to the floor and carefully stepped back into her pants. The zipper was a challenge. She struggled to pull it up. Preston replaced her trembling hands with his own and zipped her up.

"Thank you." Sookie smiled shyly before relaxing into his arms. "You smell so good." She sighed. His musky and earthy scent reminded her of the woods during a heavy rainfall.

She didn't understand the power that had gripped them, or the reason behind the sudden passion they had just shared. All she knew was that with Preston's arms wrapped around her everything was right with her world. And for a split second she hoped that her Gran had felt the same happiness in Fintan's arms.

"I'm sorry," Preston whispered. "I…I…" He was at a loss for words, for fear that she would reject him if she understood what they had just shared.

"What ever for?" she asked allowing her head to remain resting on his chest.

"For marking you—I mean," he quickly added. "I'm glad I did, but I'm sorry for not asking before."

"What are you talking about?" Sookie lifted her chin and looked up at him. His expression was apologetic.

"It happened before I realized it," he hesitated. "I marked you."

"Marked me?" Sookie's brow arched.

"When fairies mate, they mark each other with their scent," he explained. "It lets other fairies know that you're taken."

"Oh," Sookie breathed. The idea that she was off the market wasn't offensive to her, because the way she saw it, she was off the market. However, the mating part, she wasn't sure what to make of that. Not because being someone's mate would be degrading, but because she wasn't sure if it had the same meaning to fairies as it did to humans. "Mate?" she asked. "What exactly does that mean?"

"When fairies mark each other, it signifies that we'll only breed with that one."

"Oh," Sookie breathed. Her eyes studied Preston. "I thought it was practically impossible for a human and a fairy to…you know…breed." She cringed at the word. It made it sound like they were animals though their performance only minutes ago would beg to differ.

"It's rare, yes," he said. She knew it was uncommon; Niall had explained that to her once. The fact that Einin had conceived and that Fintan was able to father children was extraordinary. It was like winning the lottery.

"So what does it mean, I mean for us—the marking thing?" Sookie watched him attentively.

"I would never hold you to this if you didn't want to." He needed to get that out first though silently he would definitely demand that other fairies honor their ways when dealing with Sookie.

"Well—what is it?" she breathed, batting away the frustration she felt coming to the surface. She was also trying to keep herself from jumping to conclusions. She didn't want to assume that mating meant to Preston what it meant to her.

"Well." He grinned and slowly began. "When two fairies meet." Sookie bit her lower lip immediately catching the humor in his tone. "And they're attracted to each other, and they aren't closely related, they fall in love, and then they decide to build a nest."

"That's not funny." She pouted. Preston chuckled.

"When two fairies decide to mate, they mark each other," he said. "This lets others know that we're taken."

"So…_taken_…what does that mean?" she asked. Preston sighed. Sookie wanted to make sure she didn't misunderstand anything. Mating could mean a few different things. It could mean marriage or it could simply mean breeding. She just wanted to make sure she understood what it all meant and more importantly, she wanted to make sure they were both on the same page.

"It means that we've paired up for life." He studied her expression. "I won't mate with another and vice versa."

"Oh." It felt like her stomach did a summersault. "Does it mean the same when a fairy _marks _a human?" she asked wistfully. Preston nodded his head in the affirmative answering her question. "We haven't really talked about that." Inside she was leaping with joy, but forced herself to keep her composure and not to assume too many things about what he was saying.

"No, we haven't." He held her gaze.

A silence fell between them.

Looking into his eyes, Sookie contemplated the significance of this _marking_ and _mating _thing. Especially because it happened in the heat of the moment, and she felt it would be wrong to hold him to it. But this didn't mean that she hoped he wouldn't change his mind. Staring into the warmth of his tawny colored eyes, she saw nothing that would indicate that he regretted what had happened or that he would take any of it back.

Preston anxiously waited for Sookie's disapproval. Marking was a mutual act between fairies, something that a couple consented to. Sookie had not agreed to take such a step with him. Though for him, he knew the moment that he had seen her that she was the one. The one he wanted his life to revolve around. The one he hoped would fall in love with him. The one he wanted in his bed forever. The one he had hoped to have a child with.

"What now?" she asked.

"For now." His tone was casual though his soulful eyes revealed how vulnerable he was feeling. "It doesn't have to mean anything."

"I…" Sookie's voice trailed off. "I…" She didn't know what to say. She felt somehow let down by his answer. His words '_for now it doesn't have to mean anything'. _The space between her brows wrinkled. Though she wasn't ready to walk down the isle, she had wanted it to mean something despite the fact that only seconds ago she told herself she wouldn't hold him to it. "What does that mean exactly?" she hesitated.

"That I want a lot of things with you." Preston exhaled. "Whether it happens now or later, I'll wait."

"Oh," she breathed. "Well," she paused, a smile spreading across her face. _"Ok." _She could live with that. Just the realization that Preston was thinking about their future brightened her mood. "So we're taking things one step at a time?"

"We can do that." Preston's arms were still wrapped around her. She turned her head and rested her cheek against his chest. The sense of security she felt in her relationship with Preston was new, and she treasured the sensation. "So," Preston started cautiously, "you're not upset that I marked you?"

"No," she said. Preston _marking, _the way he had explained it to her, indicated that not only did he love her and wanted her, but that he saw a future with her, one perhaps with children if it was possible. In her mind she saw what Preston did as a promise, a promise of a future together. For the first time ever, she had what she mused was a _relationship roadmap_. Knowing where their relationship was heading and his intentions with her was liberating. How could she not possibly be happy about that?

Quietly, they stood wrapped in each other's arms. Preston pressed soft kisses into her hair.

A sparkle of light drew Sookie's eye to the floor.

Under Sam's desk, almost against the baseboard, she saw something reflective just barely in view from inside the velvet box Eric had delivered. Her brow wrinkled slightly.

"_Hmm," _she privately thought. _"What was Eric up to?"_ A tiny nagging feeling crept up. She wasn't exactly sure what the shiny object that was barely visible from inside the box was, but knowing Eric, it was probably something gaudy. She had a sneaky suspicion that Eric was up to something. And that _something_ she was sure wasn't good for her.

"I'm not going." Sookie's quiet voice broke their silent embrace. She drew her eyes away from the black velvet box on the floor. She hadn't told Preston about it. "I told Eric's day man that I wouldn't be able to join them for the '_sit down_' this evening."

"Do you know what this meeting is about?" Preston didn't like the idea of Sookie being summoned by anyone except Niall.

Fairies considered themselves superior to vampires and most other creatures for that matter. It was difficult for them not to. They were among the first beings to roam the earth and heavens. Their genealogy spanned millenniums, beyond the first humans.

So though fairies had the capacity for humility, it's logical considering their origin, that this trait would come difficult to them. So for one of their kind, even a changeling with as little a spark as Sookie's, to be ordered by a vampire was somewhat offensive. Especially when protocol, one that vampires were well aware of, dictated that they send a request for an audience first. If an audience was granted, then at that time, and only then could they make their request in person.

"No," Sookie admitted. "I don't know what it's about, but I have a feeling it's not to discuss a job." She paused. "Pam, his second, came by several days ago. She was asking questions about us." She felt Preston stiffen. "She didn't ask about _You_. She was just checking to see if the rumors of me having a new lover were true."

"What difference would it make to them if you did?" Preston questioned. The annoyance in his voice didn't go unnoticed by Sookie. She wasn't sure if her body, despite its eagerness for a repeat, could take another delicious pounding so soon. "You don't belong to them," he growled.

"I know," Sookie said. "When Eric and I," her voice went soft and low, "had our affair. He didn't know who he was. A Witch had cast a spell on him. When she was killed, he regained his lost memories, but he couldn't remember our time together. That is until two months ago."

"What happened two months ago?"

"I'm not sure," she said. "During the Nevada takeover, Eric and Bill were inside my house. I guess being surrounded by my things and my scent; it somehow triggered something in his head. He regained all his memories of the time we spent together."

"I see." Preston had never considered himself a jealous male, but at that moment, he felt something very close to it.

"Our relationship ended because he couldn't remember that we had one." Sookie paused. She looked up and studied Preston's expression. "This was a year ago and two months ago he remembered and said he wanted to talk about it."

"But you never did _'talk about it'._" Preston's jaw tightened.

"Right." Sookie averted her eyes. "I never heard from him again until Pam showed up and now this." She failed to mention the box again. Sookie figured it was a present from Eric; an attempt to woo her. However, the part about her having to return it had her stumped.

"What do you think he wants?" he asked.

Sookie raised her eyes and met Preston's gaze. She truly believed that Eric wanted to pursue her; convince her to take him as a lover. Though she found Eric attractive, any healthy female would, she wanted more….more than being someone's lover. But more than that, though she lacked the self awareness to admit this truth, Eric represented many things Sookie hadn't learned in her short acquaintance with vampires, to accept.

"It doesn't matter what he wants," she firmly stated. As far as she was concerned, Eric could send her all the gifts in the world. It wouldn't change anything. "I'm with you. I'm not the kind of girl who sleeps around. If I'm with you, I'm with you. I won't share my bed or my heart with no one but you." Sookie studied Preston's expression and felt herself breathe a sigh of relief when he smiled at her.

"You're with me," he stated.

"Well, yes." Sookie smiled. It was obvious after all she thought, he'd _marked_ her. "I'm your woman."

"Good." Preston leaned forward and kissed her. "And I belong to you."

"Yes you do." Sookie grinned as she squeezed his right butt cheek. "I gotta get back to work."

"Oh, I forgot about that."

"I wonder why?" she teased. Her eyes darted to the clock. At least thirty minutes had passed. Silently, Sookie hoped Holly wasn't upset.

"I'll see you when you get off," he said. Sookie nodded. Preston reluctantly released her from his embrace. Sookie went over to the closet in Sam's office and pulled out a fresh polo shirt with Merlotte's logo embroidered on it. She would have to make sure to let Sam know she ruined one of her shirts in the wash and took an extra one.

Meticulously, Sookie tucked her new shirt under the waistband of her pants. Seeing that she was missing a button on her pants, she reached into the bottom drawer and reached for her purse. Inside she found a safety-pin, which she used to fasten them.

"Sorry for ruining your clothes." Preston handed her two pieces of fabric that use to be her panties.

"It was worth it." Sookie smirked, slipping the fabric into her pant pocket. She opened the door of Sam's office, glancing back. Her eye's again caught the velvet box on the floor. She'd have to make sure to send whatever was in it back to Eric. It would give him the wrong impression if she kept it regardless of his message to return it.

Leaving the small velvet box laying on the floor beneath the desk, Sookie led Preston into the hallway and to the back door.

"I love you Sookie," he whispered in her ear.

Her chest fluttered. Looking into his eyes, her heart swelled with warm sensations.

"I love you too," she admitted. A sense of freedom uplifted her. Reaching up, she kissed him.

She stood at the door and watched him disappear between the trees. With a smile on her face she returned to the bar just in time for the lunch rush. ~

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**A/N:** _I so love this new song by Seal. I listened to it over and over again as I edited the first three chapters of Part Three. Go check it out. Here's the link (but with no spaces):_ www . youtube . com/watch?v=NDm4CQydktc

_Click the link below and leave me a Review. :D_


	17. 3: To Tell or Not

PART THREE

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**To Tell or Not**

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As Sookie welcomed the crowd and the distraction they offered, she quickly learned that no one had suspected the decadent sins her and Preston had partook from in Sam's office. _"Thank Jesus,"_ she breathed.

Holly, who she thought would be cross, smiled at Sookie and asked her if everything was okay. Sookie assured her that her and Preston had straightened things out. Holly was relieved. She had been worried for Sookie. Man troubles weren't something Holly or any woman for that matter cared for.

As Sookie plunged herself into her work, the many facets that had forged her sense of morality, old and new, collided. She had just broken one of her biggest rules ever; never have sex in your boss's office; especially if he's a shifter with a keen sense of smell. She made a mental note to open the window and burn some incense.

A sinful smile spread across her face. She felt naughty.

As soon as the crowd started to dwindle, Sookie excused herself for a few minutes and went into Sam's office. She opened the window and pulled out some incense. Holly kept some in the office for the bathrooms, which could get pretty funky sometimes.

Sookie lit the incense and remembering that Eric's box was still on the floor under the desk, she picked it up. Inside was a knife, but not any ordinary knife. Sookie recognized it immediately. It was the ceremonial knife Eric had used when he married the King of Indiana and the King of Mississippi.

"_Why would Eric send this to me?" _she wondered. Especially since Bobby told her she was supposed to bring it to the sit down and give it back to Eric. Was he not supposed to have it? Sookie got a twisting sort of uneasy feeling in her gut. _"What are you up to Eric Northman?" _

Eric was in his day time resting place, dead to the world until night fall. He was expecting Victor Madden at Fangtasia that evening for his usual inspection. His visit provided Eric the perfect opportunity for Sookie to bring the ceremonial knife to him. As long as she didn't question him or handle the knife irreverently when she presented it to him, Victor would buy it. And Sookie would finally be his.

What Eric didn't know, and wouldn't know for several more hours, was that Sookie wouldn't be coming to Fangtasia that evening. There were several reasons why she wouldn't. Among them, for one, she had a bar to run. Two, it rubbed her the wrong way to be summoned without any explanation. Third, she was going back to Baton Rouge with Preston after her shift.

Sookie took the knife, placed it back into the box, and stored it in Sam's desk drawer. She wasn't sure how she would manage it, but she needed to return it.

Pushing aside all thoughts of the box, she left Sam's office and returned to her tables; filling up salt and pepper shakers, ketch-up bottles, and napkin holders.

About this time, outside in the parking lot, Claudine pulled her car into Merlotte's and parked her car. A few rumors pertaining to her little cousin had reached her. Claudine stepped out of her car, activating the car alarm.

Under any other circumstances she wouldn't have put any stock in the rumors, but civil war was brewing in Faery. And since her little cousin attracted trouble to her like a bear to honey, she figured it would be sensible to check things out for her self.

Claudine walked through the parking lot and toward the entrance to Merlotte's. She could sense Sookie's presence inside, and a smile automatically lit her face. That is until she touched the door-handle of the door into Merlotte's. There was magic at work, but not just any sort of magic; fairy magic.

She didn't recognize any of the tell tale signs of who the owner of the magic surrounding Merlotte's belonged to. With fairy speed, she pulled out her cell phone, flipped it open, and dialed Claude's number.

"Hello," answered Claude.

"You better come," said Claudine. Her voice lacked any semblance of her normal cheery disposition. Claude immediately picked up the change in her voice, which alerted him that there was trouble.

"I'll be right there," he said remembering where Claudine said she was heading when she left their house.

Claudine closed her phone and slipped it back into her pocket. It took Claude only a minute to excuse himself and teleport to Merlotte's. Though teleporting was the quickest way to get around, mainstreaming meant living like other mortals, which meant they refrained from using their abilities unless it was an emergency.

Using their magic in their daily lives, over a prolonged period, made them sloppy and the chance of discovery more likely. It was cumbersome business having to erase evidence of their existence. If it was only one or two humans that witnessed their true nature, the damage control was manageable, but if it involved dozens of humans, the damage control would have required more work.

"What's wrong?" asked Claude, appearing in the parking lot. He pulled down on the hem of his shirt.

"See for yourself," said Claudine gesturing to the door. Claude touched the door-handle and instantly felt and tasted the magic. "Who is it?" asked Claudine. Her brother had a special gift, he was clairvoyant. He could touch an object, even enchanted objects, and learn its history. For Claude it was like turning pages in a book.

"They've tried to cover their identity, but it's an earth fairy," he answered confidently. "I'm positive," said Claude, "_A decadently gorgeous fairy," _he thought if his memory served him right. Unlike sky fairies that tended to be bare chested, earth fairies had the perfect amount of body hair on their chest and a little running straight down toward their manhood. Not too much and not too little; just enough to tempt a lover. Claude felt his libido surge at the image. He loved a little bit of chest hair on his lovers.

"Do I know him?" asked Claudine.

"You met him once," said Claude. "Remember Dorian?" Claudine's eyes lit.

"Yes," she purred softly. For a time, she thought Dorian might have wanted to mate with her, but he preferred her brother. "What about Dorian?"she asked.

"It's his cousin," said Claude.

"Which one?" asked Claudine, because Dorian had many cousins.

"Forget it," Claude nodded his head side-to-side, "He's a good fairy."

"What's he doing putting up a spell around Merlotte's?" Instantly she answered her own question, "Sookie."

Claude opened the door and gestured for his sister to go in first. _"This was going to be an interesting visit,"_ thought Claude. The small door bells chimed when Claude opened the door. It took only a few seconds for Sookie's gaze to meet theirs.

"Sookie, you're okay," Claudine greeted her with an affectionate hug. Right away she registered the trace pheromones that _marked_ Sookie.

"Why wouldn't I be?" asked Sookie.

Claude followed his sister's lead and hugged Sookie from behind. He inhaled deeply. "Seems you've been busy," purred Claude. The suggestion in his liquid voice didn't escape Sookie's notice. Like his twin, he recognized the scent _marking_ his cousin.

"We have to talk," said Claudine.

"Ok," said Sookie. She wasn't sure what to make of the expression on her cousins' faces.

"Privately," said Claudine. Sookie glanced around. The lunch crowd had thinned out considerably.

"We can talk in Sam's office."

The twins waited as Sookie told Holly she would be a few minutes. Everyone left in the bar, watched Sookie disappear into the employee hallway with her two mouthwatering guests. Earlier that afternoon, after her and Preston's escapade she had pulled her guard down and never put it back in place. Now her mind was bombarded with fantasies involving, one or all of them.

In a small procession, Sookie in the lead, Claude at the rear, they walked down the hall and into Sam's office. Though Sookie had opened the window in Sam's office, traces of her joining with Preston still lingered. But all Sookie could pick up was the incense she had burned earlier. She also wasn't aware how keen fairy senses actually were. Instantly, Claudine and Claude picked up the faint traces beneath the incense.

"What's up?" confidently asked Sookie as she closed the office door. Turning around she saw the twins staring at her. Their combined beauty was awe-inspiring. She immediately prepared herself. Together, the twins could be overwhelming; irresistible, which was not good when they wanted information from her.

"You're sleeping with an earth fairy," stated Claude. Claudine threw him a disapproving look. Though she clearly picked up the same scents Claude had, she preferred to take a gentler approach. "You really should close your mouth," Claude gave Sookie a raised brow.

"There's fairy magic at work here," Claudine said, arching her eyebrow, "And I smell him all over you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sookie lied. "_Oh boy,"_ she breathed silently. The more comfortable she and Preston grew with each other, the sloppier they were becoming at keeping their relationship a secret. Sookie cringed. She wanted to stand on the rooftops and declare to everyone that she and Preston loved each other. Instead, she had to keep it a secret, and she hated that the most.

"Liar," snorted Claude, "We could charm you into telling us the truth."

"You wouldn't dare," Sookie's eyes narrowed. "Maybe it won't work on me," she quickly added. After all, she was immune to vampire glamour and to a maenad's mind tricks; maybe she was immune to the fairy version.

"There's no need for that," calmly said Claudine. "Whoever he is, his mark is all over you."

"___Jesus Christ_, _Shepherd of Judea__,"_ thought Sookie, her back stiffened. "What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

"Sookie, he's marked you as his mate," said Claudine. "You need to be careful," she cautioned. "There's trouble in Faery." Sookie noticed Claudine's usual peppiness gone. "The situation is dangerous."

"_Dangerous?" _Sookie didn't understand what being _marked _by Preston had to do with the troubles in Faery. "How am I marked?" she feigned ignorance.

Claude chuckled finding the whole situation funny. Claudine on the other hand was beside herself, and Sookie seemed clueless as far as he could see.

"What's so funny?" she asked frowning at Claude.

"You reek of his pheromones," said Claude, "It's a territorial thing fairies do. It lets other fairies know who their mates are. Don't worry, it's a pleasant scent."

"I…" Sookie's doe eyes made Claude wonder how it was that humans had become the dominant race. Sookie's own thoughts raced. If the twins could pick up Preston's _mark_, she was sure that Naill would be able to.

"By the strength of it," Claude glanced around the office tasting the air, "I'd say it happened a few hours ago…right here." He pointed to the desk. Sookie's gaze trailed to the desk and her complexion flushed. Images of her and Preston flashed across her mind.

"You need to be careful," cautioned Claudine.

"Why would I need to be careful?" asked Sookie.

"Breandan's fairies are moving about in this world," said Claude.

"Bren-dawn?" asked Sookie. She'd never heard of the name before.

"He's grandfather's enemy," said Claudine. Sookie nodded her head. "He believes humans with fairy blood should be exterminated."

"That would mean…me," Sookie spoke the words slowly.

"It means, if you see any new fairies," said Claude, "Run." Sookie's gaze fixed on Claude.

"There has been some whispering," said Claudine, making sure to choose her words carefully. She didn't want to offend Sookie or pry unnecessarily into her cousin's personal affairs.

"Rumor had it you've been screwing some supe," said Claude. He found it exhausting skirting around a subject. Claudine threw him a sharp glare. "What?" softly asked Claude. "I'm just pointing out the elephant in the room. By the taste of the spell on Merlotte's I'm guessing it's an earth fairy named Preston."

"_How did he know that?"_ silently asked Sookie.

"No sense in denying it," smirked Claude. "We can smell him all over you."

"You can't tell Niall," blurted Sookie almost instantly.

"Then it really is true?" asked Claudine despite the evidence before them. Hesitantly, Sookie nodded. In a blink Claudine pulled her into another hug. Her expression beamed with joy at finding out that Sookie's lover was a fairy, but not just any fairy – it was Preston, Dorian's cousin.

"You know that if grandfather asks," said Claude, "We can't lie to him. It's impossible."

"Why don't you want grandfather to know?" asked Claudine. Her brilliant smile turned into a pout. She was immediately concerned that such wonderful news as Sookie capturing the heart of a fairy would be a bad thing.

Over the next several minutes Sookie quickly gave the twins the abbreviated version of how she met Preston and how Niall had forbidden him from contacting her.

"This is not good." Claude's hushed tone made Sookie nervous.

"We're not hurting anyone," pointed out Sookie. Claudine's bright eyes were filled with melancholy. "What will happen?"

"Disobedience is not treated lightly," said Claude. "He could be executed." Sookie's eyes widened. She felt the floor beneath her feet disappear. She knew Preston wasn't supposed to see her again, but he never explained that he could loose his life for being with her.

Sookie's stomach filled with the sensation of hard knots.

One thought after the next ran wildly across her mind. Did Niall think it was too demeaning for a fairy to be with her? Was that why he prohibited Preston from seeing her again?

"He would be at grandfather's mercy," said Claudine. She silently struggled to understand why Niall would have maneuvered things so that Sookie's path would cross with this fairy and then forbid him from seeing her again. It didn't make sense to Claudine.

"It would be better if grandfather hears it from you than from someone else," Claudine encouraged Sookie.

"I…just…" Sookie's voice faded. Her mind jumped to the worst possible outcome. The blood in her head rushed down; she began to feel dizzy. She didn't want Preston to die. And yet every thought that included her and Preston together all led to his demise.

She struggled with the idea that in order to save Preston, it would mean she had to give him up. The realization of never being with him again, never seeing him again, Sookie felt herself being torn to shreds.

The twins went out of focus. The room began to spin.

"Sookie," Claude caught her in his arms. "Breath," he frantically shook her. Sookie gasped for air, filling her desperate lungs. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath.

"Why would Niall do that?" cried Sookie, her voice trembling.

"Oh, Sookie," said Claudine taking her from Claude and rocking her in her arms. "Shh….shh," Claudine's hand stroked Sookie's back. She looked up at her brother and caught his gaze. He understood her unspoken words and went to the bar for a glass of water.

"If you let grandfather know how much you love Preston, everything will work out," said Claudine.

"You said he'd be at Niall's mercy," Sookie's voice caught in the back of her throat. Claude returned with a tall glass of water.

"Thanks." Sookie took the glass from him and drank it. She noticed the twins exchange a knowing look as if they were debating on how much information to share with her.

"Don't underestimate grandfather's love for you," said Claude leaning against the edge of the desk. A flash of Preston and Sookie raced across his mind. He jerked away from the desk earning several strange glances from Claudine. Claude pulled up his guard, similar to what Sookie did when blocking out unwanted thoughts. The images were gone. Cautiously, he leaned against the edge of the desk again.

"What do you mean?" asked Sookie. Claude glanced down at Claudine waiting for a nod from her before continuing.

"Niall has always preferred his half human sons," pointed out Claude. "He loved Fintan very much." Sookie still didn't understand how this could help save Preston.

"It's true," said Claudine, "Niall didn't live happily with our grandmother. It took him a very long time to love our father."

"He loved his human wife," said Claude. Sookie assumed it was Einin he was referring to. Her forehead wrinkled. She had never associated what Niall and Einin had with love; much less that they were husband and wife.

"But he seduced her," she pointed out. Claude huffed. Quickly she knew she'd have to readjust the picture she had had of Niall and Einin.

"Niall preferred Einin over our grandmother." Sookie watched the twins closely.

"What does this have to do with anything?" Sookie asked.

"It means that your happiness is very important to Niall," said Claudine. "If you tell him of your feelings for Preston, he'll consider your happiness first."

"He would?" Sookie still felt trepidation in revealing her relationship with Preston to Niall, the very person who could end Preston's life.

"He loves us all," stated Claude, "but he loves you most."

"He does?" muttered Sookie.

"There's nothing Niall wouldn't do for you," stated Claude. Sookie's gaze darted between Claude and Claudine. She searched their faces for bitterness, something other than acceptance and love.

"And what if he has Preston executed?" asked Sookie.

"The worst outcome would be short of death," said Claude bluntly. Claudine threw him a hard look.

"I don't know," Sookie back-peddled.

"It will fare badly for him Sookie if Niall discovers your affair from someone else," pointed out Claudine. "There's whispering among the vampires that you've taken a new lover. If grandfather hasn't heard by now, it is only a matter of time."

"Grandfather is always interested in any news concerning those related to him," stated Claude. "If we heard about it, I'm sure he has. As we speak he more than likely has someone working on confirming the report."

"I'll help as much as I can," said Claudine. Sookie's thoughts were overlapping each other. She knew that Niall once offered to kill Eric if that was what she wanted. _"Maybe?"_ she wondered. If Niall was willing to end a life by one word from her, surely he would spare Preston's life with just a word as well?

"I'll think about it," said Sookie.

"Don't wait until it's too late," said Claudine. "And please be careful. If Preston hasn't received news yet, let him know that Breandan's fairies have been seen wandering this realm." Sookie exhaled loudly.

"What do they want?" she asked looking at Claudine.

"They want _us_ dead," said Claude. "That means you too."

"Great," breathed Sookie. That's all she needed was a bunch of fairies trying to kill her and the twins. "You be careful too," she pleaded with her cousins.

"You might want to think about keeping a low profile," said Claude.

"Low profile?" Sookie gave him a skeptical look. "I don't think I can get any more low profile."

"If we heard about you having a new lover," pointed out Claude, "Then you're not keeping a low profile."

"Good point," said Sookie. Secrets were hard to keep in a small town.

"If you need anything," said Claudine, "Let me know."

"I will," Sookie assured her. Her head was still spinning when the twins left. So much was happening; Sam, Preston, Eric, the twins, Niall, this Breandan enemy fairy thing. Sookie just wanted to go back to bed. Instead, she took a page from Scarlett O'Hara, _"I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."_

So Sookie drew up all her strength, swallowed the foreboding she felt, and returned to work. ~

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**A/N: **_C__lick below and leave me a review. They do wonders in motivating and energizing a person. _


	18. 3: Getting Stood Up

PART THREE

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**Getting Stood Up**

**

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**

That evening while Eric went through the usual motions of Victor's monthly inspection, Sookie was in Baton Rouge oblivious to the intricacies of the politics the vampires were playing at.

Instead, her attention was keenly aware of her surroundings in Preston's workshop. She admired his creations with awe. His workshop was, like he said, the lower half of the building that he lived in. It made the Bon Temps High School wood shop look childish, like a toddler's toy room. As he gave her a tour and explained the purpose of each machine, Sookie smiled at the contradiction she saw around her.

Preston, an earth fairy, a builder, had moved to her world to _stretch his wings_ and do something different, but even after a hundred years or so, he ended up being a _builder. _ Maybe there was more to fairies being hardwired with a specific purpose than what she initially thought. Especially when she saw the love and pride in Preston's eyes for the beautiful objects he had made. From the credenza he'd been working so hard on, to the top-secret enchanted chest.

They were all breathtaking. The quality of the workmanship was undeniable. And to see the excitement he had for what he did, Sookie loved all of the pieces. How could she not?

She lovingly ran her hand along the surface of the credenza. Its long surface was smooth. The detailed pattern of the grain was breathtaking. The scent of beeswax that Preston used to polish the finish reminded Sookie of her Grampa Mitchell.

"Preston," her breath rushed out. "It's amazing." He breathed deeply, satisfied at the pleasure he saw on Sookie's face. She turned and met his gaze. "You're so…so…gifted. I love it. My Gran would have loved this. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"I hope the client feels the same way," he smiled.

"They would have to be blind not to." Looking around her, Sookie saw a whole new side of Preston. She liked that he was a builder. Standing in his workshop, watching him in the space, she saw him more clearly. She had seen and experienced how gentle, sincere, and patient he was, but in that moment, it was crystal clear. In that moment, it said so much, so loudly, about the kind of man he was. There was no doubt in her mind that Gran would have approved of her choice in Preston.

"So how does the enchanted chest thing work?" Sookie followed Preston across the workshop that was located on the first level of the building where he lived. There was a freight elevator located on the far end of the shop.

"Well," he said taking her hand and helping her into the elevator that would take them up to the top level where his apartment was located. "A standard order is either for a spell that will make the piece unnoticed by anyone except for the owner of the furniture," he pulled down the elevator door and pressed the big green button to go up. "Or for a spell to include a ward that will only allow the owner to open a certain compartment. If the order is for only one spell, I do that on my own. But if an order comes for a few wards, then I have another earth fairy come in and place the second ward. And so on."

"Why a ward or even two?"

"Well," Preston grinned, enjoying Sookie's interest in his work. "Did you ever have a diary with a lock on it? Or a jewelry box with a lock?" Sookie nodded her head. "When you're dealing with the supernatural, a lock is typically not enough to keep someone out. So if you want to keep something, a book of secrets, or some valuables, away from other supernaturals, you ward the object. The more wards, the better. It gives the object added security. If someone is able to break my ward, it would be too easy for them to break the next, so if a client is willing to pay for a second ward, I have another earth fairy perform the second, another a third and so on."

"Couldn't they just do the same thing with something they already have, instead of paying you to do it?" The elevator stopped on the top level of the two story building.

"Yeah," Preston grunted as he pulled up the gate so they could step out of the elevator. "I guess any good Witch or wizard could do that. But if someone can afford it, an earth fairy warded piece is best."

"Why? Is this like cars?" she grinned. Preston chuckled.

"No," he smiled holding out his hand for Sookie. "Fairy magic is stronger."

"Is there any other magic stronger than fairies?"

"Nope."

"I see," said Sookie. "I guess something like that would cost a lot." Preston nodded his head.

"What I do is enchant the raw wood, before I cut it," explained Preston. "This embeds the magic, and makes the spell and the piece stronger."

"Unbreakable?"

"Essentially. Any other way would be like paying to have a sheet thrown over a piece of furniture."

As Preston continued to answer Sookie's myriad of questions about Faery, they set about cooking spaghetti and garlic bread. Sookie knew that there weren't many ways to mess up spaghetti, but she couldn't help think that they out did themselves.

The domestic bliss she was enjoying with Preston made it too easy to push out the world. She continued to postpone telling Preston about her visit with the twins.

"_I'll tell him later,"_ she told herself.

After dinner, the dishes tucked away in the dishwasher, Sookie returned Sam's call she had missed while her and Preston had enjoyed their dinner. Sam had called to get a status on the bar; to see how things were going. Once the obligatory call with her boss was done, Sookie and Preston sprawled out on his sofa.

On the sofa, in Preston's arms, she read out loud a book she'd tossed in her bag. Though it was a romance novel, Preston had her in tears with laughter a few times. However, she did find that reading out loud the lemony parts was great foreplay for what turned out to be _awesome mind blowing sex with her boyfriend__._

A bit of maneuvering and Sookie laid sprawled length wise across Preston's nudity. His hand and fingers absently traced the contours of her bare back. They both were still floating in a haze of euphoria.

"That was amazing," Sookie smiled. "Mmm," she moaned softly. Preston's hand tenderly caressed her bottom eliciting a delicious twitch of muscle memory from the erotic things Preston had done to her.

"Are you sure I didn't hurt you?"

"Positive," she tilted her head and kissed his chin. "You know," she whispered, leaning forward to trail kisses along his jaw line toward his ear. "I've never let anyone do that to me before." Reaching his pointed ear, she ran her tongue over the tip.

A smile spread across her face as Preston's manhood twitch against her leg from what she was doing to his sensitive ear. The feeling of the tip against her tongue was pleasurable not just for her, but for Preston as well.

"You shouldn't do that," his voice jagged, as his hands braced Sookie's lower body.

"You shouldn't rub against a girl like that," she teased. "It might give her the wrong idea."

"This is dangerous," he was breathless.

"Why?" her tongue twirled around the delicate peak. She felt Preston's hips pumping against her legs. Seductively, she pulled the tip between her lips and took it in to her mouth. A low growl rumbled from deep inside Preston's chest. He sensed a silent heat racing through his body.

Quickly Preston pulled her away from his ear.

"What's wrong?" asked Sookie with a devilish smirk on her face. She loved the way his chest quivered.

"I won't be able to stop myself from marking you again," he confessed. A thrill instantly filled her, making her ache. Something primal inside her wanted to be marked by him again.

"I see." The next instance the lust in her eyes faded. Despite how her body had reacted to his words, she remembered her visit with the twins. She moved down and rested her head on his chest. "How does this marking work exactly?"

"Its…" he searched for the word, "biological. I have _some_ control over it by keeping my feelings in check. But when we're like this," he rubbed himself against her. "It's difficult to control my feelings."

"Oh," Sookie tilted her chin to look up at him. "So if you get…too excited it happens?" Preston's hands swiftly moved them, adjusting their positions so that Sookie was laying beneath him.

"Only when I'm with you," he combed the golden caramel curls away from her face. "You've no idea the effect you have on me."

"Tell me," she blinked, gazing up at him. There was a layer of sheen on his face from their lovemaking.

"It's like all the pleasure and happiness in the world spills into me when I think of you, see you, and when I'm with you," he explained. Sookie's eyes studied the moist strands of hair laying against Preston's neck. She automatically brought her fingers to his neck, moving the wet strands back, and tucking his hair behind his ear. Preston kissed the inside of her wrist.

"I have to keep my feelings for you under control; my love, my happiness, my passion," he gazed into Sookie's eyes. "If I loose _all_ control over myself, I'll mark you again and again." He leaned forward and tenderly kissed her.

"So are we like married now according to Faery?" asked Sookie.

"Not exactly," Preston smiled gazing into the ocean of her blue eyes. "Once you would have agreed, tradition is that I would come to your home with a procession of our family. Your father, or the head of your clan would present you to me, and I would take you to my home where we would make love and _mark_ one another."

"_A shot gun wedding?"_ thought Sookie. _"Or at least something close to it."_ That's what she envisioned what her and Preston had done in Sam's office.

"The marking from today," explained Preston. "It will fade with time if it is not renewed each time we lay together. One day," he said wistfully, "When you're ready, and when it's safe, everyone will know the woman Preston loves is coming long before you even arrive."

"They know," she hesitated. Warm tears streamed down each side of Sookie's temples. "The twins came by Merlotte's today. They know about us." Preston's expression was one of surprise and then one that read _oh shit._ "They said they'll keep our secret for as long as they can."

Preston sat up, leaning against his heels as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Have you heard from Niall?" he asked moving his legs to sit on the edge of the sofa.

"No," Sookie sat up drawing her knees to her chest. "Why didn't you tell me you could loose your life?" Preston's gaze snapped over toward her.

"I would rather die than face a life without you."

"You shouldn't say things like that," her brow wrinkled with worry. "I am going to die one day Preston."

"It's not the same," he dropped his face into the palms of his hands. "I may die before you, we don't know that," he mumbled. "And what I meant," he turned to face her, "is that I would rather die than to live knowing you're here without me."

"I don't like us having to hide," her eyes glossed with tears. "I don't want to be afraid of Niall killing you."

"We just have to be more careful," he stated clearly.

"There's magic, your magic, at Merlotte's. You've marked me. Claude said that there have been rumors that I've taken a new lover and that Niall is going to hear about it and he's going to want to know who it is."

Preston's shoulders sagged as he exhaled heavily, rubbing his face with his hands.

"They think I should go to Niall," her voice quivered. Tears moistened her cheeks. Preston turned and pulled her to his lap, wrapping his arms around her. "What are we going to do?" she whimpered.

"I'll think of something," Preston assured her. "I promise."

"Maybe we should stop seeing each other—."

"No," he interrupted her.

"Just for awhile Preston." He shook his head adamantly.

"No, I'll think of something," he kissed the side of her head. "Look at me," he gently took her chin and tilted her face toward his. "You trust me?" Sookie shook her head. "It'll be ok, I promise. I'll figure something out."

"Ok," she said. Preston leaned forward and comforted her with his kiss. With Sookie in his arms, he stood up and headed toward the steps that would take them to the bedroom.

"Preston," Sookie's voice was just above a whisper.

"Yes."

"Breandan's fairies are here, on this side." Preston stopped halfway up the staircase.

"I see," he said calmly. "Its good that you told me," he resumed his steps.

"They're looking for me and the twins."

"I'm not surprised," Preston kept his voice quiet and composed. He didn't want to worry Sookie by letting her see the alarm he felt.

"What are we going to do?"

"We're going to be smart," he said reaching the platform. His tone was firm and confident. "We're going to keep our eyes open, and we're going to be safe."

"Ok," breathed Sookie. She wanted, needed to believe that they would all be ok.

Several hours later, while Sookie, Preston, and most of Louisiana slept, back at Fangtasia the vampires and a minority of humans were awake and walking the night.

Since receiving Pam's reports, Eric had been busy managing all of his responsibilities and planning for Victor's routine visit, which had been tonight. It had seemed as if everything had fallen into place, but when he rose and had received Sookie's message, he had never felt so infuriated.

Through his bond with Sookie, he had reached out and pushed his will on her for her to yield, but moments later her side of the bond had went silent. His instincts had yanked at him to fly out to Bon Temps or to at least call her. But he couldn't without raising Victor's suspicions.

So as the night progressed with Victor sitting across from him, Eric continued to try reach through his bond with Sookie, perhaps to manipulate her, but definitely to find where she had gone to. He had the inclination to tear his office apart, but like the master politician that he was, he gave at least with his countenance, no reason for Victor Madden to doubt his claim on Sookie.

"The Tiger says Ms. Stackhouse is his woman," pointed out Victor. Quinn had requested permission to enter Area Five three weeks ago. The Tiger desired to see Sookie, and if his claim that Sookie was his woman was true, it would place her directly in Felipe's retinue and control.

Like the rest of Quinn's assets, she would also belong to the King. Had Quinn been any ordinary shifter, someone outside the vampire world, it wouldn't have made a difference what any of them wanted. Luckily for Felipe, Quinn belonged to him.

"His claim over her is no longer valid," explained Eric, "She dismissed the Tiger shortly after Louisiana came under the Kings protection. She is my human."

"What proof can you give to support your claim?" asked Victor. "If you speak the truth, why have you not summoned her?" Victor was growing impatient with the situation. Until Eric's claim could be proven false, no other vampire could approach her, which complicated matters.

"You will have proof enough," stated Eric. Underneath his calm façade, he was boiling with fury. "Sookie is running the bar the Shifter owns, and her time is pressed. This is why I'm requesting more time; forty-eight hours."

"Very well," said Victor. Privately, he seriously doubted Eric's assertion. As far as Victor saw it, if Eric spoke the truth, then why had he not summoned her? Victor suspected Eric had tried, but she had not heeded his summons. Regardless, Sookie was MIA.

If Eric failed to provide proof in 48 hours, despite denying the Tiger permission to enter Area Five, Victor would deliver the King's personal invitation to Sookie to be his guest.

Once Sookie was in Nevada, they would be able to determine the Tiger's claim. Even then, if Quinn's claim, like Eric's, was false, at least Sookie would be within their grasp. Felipe would no doubt act swiftly to secure Sookie to him.

The night was getting late, and Victor still had other business to attend to before dawn. So he completed his visit, as he referred to his inspections. After the obligatory farewells, he made his exit.

Even if Pam hadn't seen Victor leave, there was no doubt in her mind by the noise coming from Eric's office, that he was gone. Calmly, she made a beeline from the hostess' booth to Eric's office. The commotion he was making was upsetting the clientele.

"Master," she coolly said. "You're frightening the humans."

"Who does she think she is?" he growled.

"She doesn't understand the gravity of the situation," she explained.

"Where is her sense of self preservation?" he roared.

"She is human," Pam pointed out as if it answered everything perplexing about Sookie.

"What time is it?" he demanded.

"It's thirty minutes before one," she answered. Since Merlotte's closed at midnight, there was a chance that he might still catch her.

"I'll be back," said Eric brushing past Pam. "Have this mess cleaned up before I get back," he barked. Pam nodded her head in disbelief. She didn't understand Eric's fascination with Sookie. Perhaps this would be the thing that would break the camel's back, and he would finally turn her.

With Victor breathing down his neck, Pam didn't feel Eric could afford to be distracted. None of them could afford it. ~


	19. 3: It Better Be Good

PART THREE

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**It Better Be Good**

* * *

Once outside, Eric took to the air and headed toward Bon Temps to confront Sookie. His instinct, vampire, was to put the fear of God in her, maybe smack her around a bit. As a rule, he never hurt others if it wasn't necessary. He used in moderation, pain, fear, and intimidation in order to ensure the most rewarding results.

However, though Sookie standing him up tonight would be one of those few occasions that would warrant him inflecting pain, it was _Sookie_. He told himself he wouldn't harm her because he wanted her skin to maintain its perfect smooth condition.

The truth was that despite Sookie being a _human, _he concerned himself with her welfare. As a vampire, she was the first human that he had ever worried over.

"_A human_," he thought with bewilderment. He shifted uncomfortably in his pale white skin. He cared for many things, but never for a _human. _ Humans were for feeding. For fucking.

A menacing growl rumbled from deep inside his chest. Even now, he was caught between rage and obsession.

As the wind lapped at his face, memories of his strange and passionate time with Sookie bombarded his mind. It was surreal to watch himself and recall his experience a year ago. He hardly recognized himself.

In a flash, he stiffened.

"_No,"_ he growled. "_I am vampire…I am Sherriff." _Anything less felt as if he was forcing himself into a mold that required him to turn his back on everything that he was and everything that was important to him. It was like trying to blend water and oil. As much as he tried to contort, to change, he couldn't.

The neon blinking lights of Merlotte's sign towering over the road, casted a dull glow of color over the parking lot. Eric's sharp vampire senses scanned the area as he came down to earth. There was no sign of Sookie. In the woods near the bar, a few trees didn't survive Eric's wrath. His frustration had gotten the best of him.

"Where is she?" he roared. Small creatures scurried into the darkness. Sookie had avoided him long enough. As he shredded a few trees, he knew he should not have been so lenient with her. He had allowed her too much leeway, too much freedom. His entire body vibrated with rage.

For over a thousand years women had fallen at his feet. As a predator he had gone too long without a challenge. Human women were nothing more than willing bags of blood and sex.

"_Oh, but with Sookie," _his mouth salivated as the tree trunk between his hands turned to powder. In Sookie he had found a challenge. Lust and hunger pumped through his veins at the thought of her assets. The memory of her sweet blood made him hard.

Sookie was not like other women. She hadn't fallen at his feet. Unlike the others, she couldn't be easily possessed. As much as he had initially enjoyed the chase, he was growing tired of the hunt. The game was over. It was time he claimed what was his. She was his human. His woman. His bonded. If he had to, he would forcibly press his will on her.

He bolted into the air and toward Sookie's house.

Eric was willful and unruly. He wouldn't hesitate to challenge and disregard their vampire laws in his quest to possess Sookie. Until now, he had openly killed a vampire and positioned himself between a Queen and her prize. What was another vampire monarch? He would find a way to keep Felipe's claws away from his human. There was almost nothing that Eric wouldn't do to keep Sookie out of the reach of other vampires.

What Eric couldn't see was that the turmoil he felt was not due to Sookie not being his woman, but it was of his own creation. In his obsession to possess her gift, her body, her blood, he lost focus. He began to concern himself with her feelings. Eric couldn't accept the phenomenon that like some vampires, he too cared for a _human. _

Unfortunately, he viewed his concern for Sookie, then and now, as a weakness, something that had to be tamed – beaten out of him. And the perfect instrument for this exorcist of chaos and obsession that inflected him was Sookie.

When he arrived at her house the lights were out, but he didn't care. Short of breaking down the door he pounded his fist against the wooden door. "Sookie!" he roared feeling his frustration escalate even further.

He was unable to feel her through the bond.

From inside the house it sounded like the house would crumble at any moment. The booming and creaking of the frame created an eerie tune inside the house. Sookie's roommates, Octavia and Amelia were pulled from what had been a peaceful sleep. Cautiously, like a frightened small animal, Octavia, the old Witch, went into the hallway hesitating. Her heart was palpitating, and from outside Eric could hear the pounding of two hearts.

Moments after Octavia had stepped into the dark hallway, Amelia appeared from her bedroom upstairs, carefully feeling her way through the dark. She palmed the wall for the light switch.

A few short minutes passed before the living room lights came on.

Wrapped in her robe, Amelia met Octavia in the hallway connecting the bathroom, Sookie's room and Octavia's. _"This wasn't good,"_ thought Amelia. Octavia's complexion had turned ash with fright.

"You should answer it before he tears the house apart," said Octavia, her voice trembling.

"Sookie! Let me in," he thundered.

"Is there a spell that can keep him from doing that?" whispered Amelia. Octavia shook her head.

"I'll need to consult my books," she replied. In the meantime, Amelia made her way to the door.

As much as Octavia loved Sookie and her generosity, Octavia worried about the vampires Sookie kept company with. _"One day,"_ thought the old Witch as she pulled out her ancient books, _"them vampires will be the death of us all."_

"She isn't here," Amelia cracked the front door open.

"Where is she?" growled Eric. His fangs were extended long and menacingly. It frightened Amelia to think of what he had in mind to do to her friend. "_Oh Sookie,"_ she lamented. Amelia felt certain that her dear friend needed to separate herself from the vampires; at least for a while.

"She's obviously not here," Amelia said flatly, though on the inside she was terrified of what Eric would do. From her experience and the gossip in the supernatural community, Eric was unpredictable.

"You don't expect me to believe that?" Amelia shivered from the chill in Eric's voice. Eric would have plowed right into the house, but he instantly felt his invitation had been rescinded. The magic that surrounded all living things was keeping him at bay.

"I don't care what you believe," said Amelia monitoring her tone. "She isn't home and she hasn't been home in a few days."

"If you're lying to me," snarled Eric.

"Believe me, I wouldn't lie to you,"she quickly admitted. _"As if I would admit that I was lying—which I'm not."_

"Have you heard from her?" demanded Eric.

"Yes," answered Amelia. "Why don't you just call her?"

"She isn't returning my calls," he replied.

"She has a lot going on right now Eric," explained Amelia. "Did you tell her what's so important or were you cryptic?"

"Does it matter?" his tone was sarcastic. He was Sheriff after all; she should have dropped whatever she was doing and called him. Even Bill, who disliked authority, would have done so. It was one thing for Sookie to privately treat him as a common man, and something entirely different when she openly and publicly defied him.

"If she hasn't had time to return your call, there's a good reason for it," explained Amelia_. "Like running Merlotte's and spending time with her man."_

Without Sookie's blood calling to him through their bond, there was no way Eric could track her. His mind reeled with hundreds of thoughts. Dawn was only a few hours away; he could feel it. He would have to wait until tomorrow night to send trackers out to Sookie's house. It might take days to track down every scent surrounding her house, but at this point Eric had no other choice.

"Tell her it's urgent," stated Eric. He hated being at Sookie's mercy when it should have been the other way around. The very thing a year ago that he enjoyed about her, was the same thing he hated now; feeling _human_—helpless. "She needs to call me immediately."

"I'll tell her," said Amelia. She didn't wait for Eric to step off the porch. Amelia closed the door and went into Octavia's room.

Over the next several hours they worked their spells around the house.

By the time the two Witches were done, it was about five in the morning. Amelia knew herself well enough to know that she wouldn't be getting up for a while. So she decided to call Sookie. The way she saw it, Sookie had to be getting up anyhow for work.

Earlier than either Preston or Sookie had planned to be up, Sookie's cell phone began to ring non-stop. The sound slowly began to rouse them. Wishing it was only a dream, Sookie curled up closer into Preston's chest.

After a short while, Preston realized whoever it was, wouldn't be giving up, so he reached over and picked up Sookie's cell phone from the bedside table where it was charging.

"No," softly groaned Sookie from the loss of warmth snuggling next to Preston had provided, which momentarily disappeared.

"Hello," he said groggily into the receiver.

"Sookie?" asked Amelia.

"No," he yawned. "It's Preston."

"Good morning," she said sheepishly. "Sorry to call so early. This is Amelia, Sookie's roommate. I really need to talk with Sookie. It's important."

"Ok, hold on," he yawned. Turning around he leaned down and kissed Sookie's bare shoulder. "Sookie," through the fog of sleep, she heard her name. "It's Amelia. She says it's important." Preston kissed her shoulder again. A weary smile spread across Sookie's face. She raised her hand, not moving anything else on her body. Preston placed the phone in her open palm.

"It better be good," mumbled Sookie. By the quality of the filtered light coming in through the windows, Sookie figured it was really, really early.

"Sookie?" she heard Amelia's voice. "Eric is crazy."

"_Tell me something I don't already know,"_ quietly thought Sookie. "Is that why you called? To tell me he's crazy?"

"No, not only that; all day yesterday Pam kept calling the house," said Amelia, "Octavia told her you weren't home. Anyhow, Eric showed up last night."

"You gotta be kidding," grumbled Sookie. Pam had inundated her cell phone with missed calls. The first few calls Sookie had genuinely missed. It wasn't until the third call that Sookie had adjusted the custom ring tone for all of Fangtasia's numbers, so that her cell phone would be silent. Conveniently, Pam had left only one message, but never stated why she was needed.

It irritated Sookie like a bad rash, that she was being _"summoned"__._ She wasn't a vampire, and she certainly wasn't property of any vampire, so she resented being treated like one of Eric's subjects.

"Did you tell him I'm really busy?" asked Sookie.

"Of course," Amelia sighed, "but you know Eric."

"Did he say what he wanted?" asked Sookie quickly concluding that it probably had something to do with her not showing up last night.

"He only said that it's urgent," answered Amelia. "Look," she sighed, "you really need to call him. It really freaked out Octavia and me to have a vampire banging on the door in the middle of the night."

"Oh god," groaned Sookie. "I'm so sorry Amelia…I'll call him." For an instant she wondered if there was an anti-Eric spell.

"Thanks Sookie," said Amelia. "So how are things going with lover boy?" Amelia giggled.

"Really great," Sookie's face beamed. Preston was on his back next to her.

"Seems like things are getting pretty serious," happily pointed out Amelia. _"__The long sleepovers at his place_,_"_ she thought, _"were a good sign."_ She was ecstatic that her best friend had found love.

"I guess they are," happily admitted Sookie. It seemed like her and Preston had fallen into a comfortable routine, and she truly loved it despite everything going on around them.

"I'm happy for you Sookie," said Ameila. "Don't worry about the house," she assured her. "Octavia and I are taking good care of everything—Eric won't be banging on the door anymore. We just finished conjuring up a pretty big spell around the property, so you just enjoy yourself."

"Thanks Amelia." A mischievous smile spread across Sookie's face. She knew it would really get under Eric's skin when he discovered the new wards around her house.

"I gotta get to bed," whispered Amelia. "I'm exhausted. We've been up since one thirty."

"Oh," breathed Sookie. "I'm so sorry Amelia."

"Nothing to be sorry about," she said. "I'll talk to you when I talk to you."

"Ok," Sookie yawned. When she disconnected the call, she read the time off her cell phone. _It was way too early._ She had about five hours before she had to be to work.

"Everything ok?" mumbled Preston.

"It's all good," breathed Sookie. Her words were more of a silent mantra to convince her self that everything would work itself out. She raised her hand with the phone in it. Preston took it back and placed it on the bedside table. Turning back around he drew Sookie toward him, draping his arm over her waist; one leg between hers.

They were both exhausted. Their experimental sex on the sofa the night before had continued into the bedroom. Needless to say they had, had a late night. Facing Preston, Sookie snuggled into his chest.

Easily, they fell back to sleep for a few hours. ~


	20. 3: Dead Woman

PART THREE

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_**Dead Woman**_

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After Amelia's phone call, nothing else happened to indicate the day would be any different from the day before; so it seemed.

Over coffee, standing in Preston's kitchen, Sookie studied him as he devoured his Fruit Loops with a child like exuberance. She wondered if she should mention to him about the knife and Eric's odd request. But she hesitated each time the words came to the tip of her tongue.

Everything was _too _perfect. Her happiness seemed _too_ fragile. And the idea that it could break was more than her heart could bear.

"You know your cupboard is a kid's dream." Preston had cereals in his cupboard that her Gran had never allowed her or Jason to have, because they had too much sugar: Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops, and Sugar Smacks.

"They're good," he mumbled. Since they had started seeing each other, it didn't take long for Sookie to note that Preston had a real sweet tooth. Besides his well stockpiled cupboard of Fruit Loops, Sugar Smacks, and Apple Jacks, his refrigerator was well supplied with cartons of juice and soda. Then there were the bowls of fruit, not to mention the Twinkies and Ding Dongs. To say Preston's diet was a bit peculiar was correct. And unlike for her, Sookie never noticed Preston get the inevitable sugar high crash.

What she found truly dismaying was how Preston's high calorie diet never seemed to increase the size of his waist line. He drank whole fat milk, used real sweetened butter, which she loved but it was her enemy, and even crueler was the real cream he used in his coffee that made her mouth water.

The list of food off limits to her in Preston's kitchen went on and on, and for the first time since she started dating, she had to really monitor her calories. If she ate like Preston, she'd blow up in a matter of weeks.

"You're making me fat just watching you eat."

"I'll pick you up some diet pop," he teased. Sookie let out a gentle breath filled with humor. Preston stood up and deposited his big empty bowl in the sink. "Want some toast?" Sookie groaned at his offer. He was a bottomless pit.

"Half a slice," she grumbled.

"I wouldn't mind," he wiggled his brow. "I like your juicy pieces." He reached for Sookie and drew her in for a kiss.

"My juice pieces?" she giggled. Preston's hands glided over her body and gradually moved under her polo shirt, teasing her _juicy pieces_.

Their little game blazed into a wild fire.

Sookie's soft erotic sounds emboldened him. He drew his hand down. Between her legs. And through the fabric of her pants he worked her into a frenzy, as her tongue lapped every ounce of sweet pleasure his mouth offered her.

"Do we have time?" Preston's voice was raspy.

"Hurry." The word rushed from her lips as she desperately freed Preston of his shirt.

"Yes my lady," Preston eagerly agreed. She had to smile. He called her that sometimes, and though it seemed corny to Sookie, she loved it and hoped that he would never stop.

The kitchen floor beneath them quickly became their impromptu bed as fire consumed them. In a flash, their bodies were touching, fueling their passion. Sookie was enveloped in everything that was Preston; his sounds; his taste; his touch; his scent. And for a moment she felt like they were making love on a forest bed surrounded by an inferno relentlessly marching toward them.

In a blink, the flames of their passion devoured them, turning them into ash.

Moments later, laying in Preston's arms, Sookie ate her half slice of toast. "This is good," she mumbled swallowing her last bite. Preston's chest vibrated with his quite laugh. Sookie reached over and pinched his sensitive nipple between her buttery fingers.

"Hey," he drew in a sharp breath. "If you do that again, you're staying home with me," he gave her a gentle squeeze. Staying locked up in Preston's home was more than tempting, but Sookie knew work and the rest of the world would simply be waiting for them outside.

When the kitchen floor became too cold, with the glow of their most recent joining, they quickly finished preparing for the day.

"Ready?" asked Preston.

"Yes," Sookie grinned stepping into his arms. It was becoming second nature for her.

Just as Preston enveloped her in a golden white light, her cell phone began to ring but went silent as did the rest of the world.

With her eyes closed, Preston's heart beating rhythmically, _lub-dub…lub-dub_, against her ear, she focused on every detail, memorizing the slow cadence of his heart, the sensation of the light he wrapped her in, which felt like the sun when she sunbathed, and the gentle but firm pressure she felt pressing against her body.

Moments later, the feeling of being swathed in a warm blanket of security disappeared. The soothing sound of Preston's heart working was replaced by the irritating ringing of her cell phone. She opened her eyes. It took her a few seconds to get her bearings. Preston had teleported them between the trees in the back of Merlotte's near the back entrance.

"We're here," Preston's tone was tender. She glanced up at him and her heart fluttered seeing Preston tilt toward her. Gently and unhurried their lips met. With all her heart, she kissed him, and kissed him again, and again.

"I do love you Sookie," whispered Preston.

"No matter what?" she breathed against his neck.

"Yes."

Since yesterday, every time he touched her, he could feel a sadness inside her. Her eyes and face never gave away anything but happiness. Yet, it was the other quieter conversations her body had with his that revealed to him the gloom she hid in her heart.

It was only a matter of time before Niall would find out about them. Preston hadn't actually thought out what he would do exactly once they were discovered. Preston, much like Sookie, had the tendency to jump feet first into situations, feeling his way through it when things turned south.

"_You'll always be a part of me," _privately thought Sookie. She wasn't sure on the _how_, but Preston wouldn't die because of her.

"You might want to answer that," Preston gestured to her pant pocket. Her cell phone was still ringing. Sookie reached down, slipping her fingers into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. The caller ID said it was Terry_. _She wondered if he would be running late.

"Hello," she answered, following Preston toward the _Employees Only_ door.

"Sookie?" asked Terry. "Are you here?"

"Yeah, I'm at the back door."

"Did you see?" he asked.

"See what?" The line went dead. "Ok," she breathed.

Just as she was about to insert the key into the keyhole, Terry opened the door letting Preston and Sookie into Merlotte's. His expression was tormented. His eyes darted from Sookie to Preston.

"What's wrong?" asked Preston. He immediately scanned the perimeter.

"There's a dead woman out front." Terry directed his answer at Preston. "I called the Sheriff's. They should be here soon."

"Stay inside," Preston directed Sookie. With Terry on his heels, Preston walked through the bar and out the front door. Sookie's brow arched.

"_Yeah, I'll do just that,"_ she mumbled to herself. Ignoring his directions, Sookie slowly went toward the front door and stepped outside. Her gaze started at one end of the parking lot and slowly scanned toward the other side.

Her heart stopped.

"Oh my god," she gasped with horror. Sookie stood paralyzed, her eyes fixed on the figure of the dead woman.

Preston immediately took her in his arm. For several long minutes Sookie lost all traces of coherent thoughts. "Crystal," she frantically called out flailing in Preston's arms. Crystal had been crucified. In her struggle she had partially shifted. A half human, half animal, of what was left of Crystal, hung lifeless.

It was the string that broke the camel's back. Sookie snapped.

"No!" she screamed. Frantically she struggled against Preston's hold. "Let go of me," she shouted, pounding her fists against his chest. "We have to tell Jason. Oh god!" she hauled in a deep breath. Despite Crystal being a lying-cheating-bitch she had been pregnant with Jason's child. "The baby," she cried. Jason would be devastated. Not only that, but no one deserved to die the way she had. "The baby Preston. She was pregnant." Instantly her thoughts raced to Hotshot.

"Calvin, someone has to tell Calvin. He shouldn't have to see her like that. They have to cover her, someone has to cover her. Take her down. Calvin, I don't want him to see her like that, he's her father. It isn't right, none of this is right. Who would do this? Why? Why can't people just leave _us_ alone? Why does it always have to be like this? No one deserved this. Don't let Calvin see, please."

Preston tried to _charm_ her into calming down, but it didn't seem to have the effect it should have. Sookie was in the midst of a breakdown. He desperately tried something different, a spell, one that would work as a sedative. Gently and purposefully, Preston kissed her on the top of her head, allowing the magic to wash over her. It seemed to work.

Sookie felt a calm softly sweep through her muscles. In his arms he felt her relax. She stopped struggling and sank into Preston's embrace.

"Terry," Sookie's voice was barely audible. He was a loud broadcaster. He was flooding her mind with flashbacks of his experience in Vietnam; of death and torture.

"What is it Sookie?"

"Can you call Jason please?" She couldn't bring herself to make the call, and she knew Terry needed something to distract him. His thoughts were chaotic. Crystal's dead body had triggered his demons. Sookie clamped shut her mind, protecting it from Terry's flashbacks. "Someone needs to call Calvin."

"I'll take care of it Sookie," said Terry. He welcomed the activity.

Within minutes of Terry's phone call, a black pickup truck came to a screeching halt in the parking lot.

Jason jumped out of his truck and ran toward Crystal's body.

In a flash Preston rushed between the dead woman's body and Jason. All Preston saw was Dermott the half fairy. Dermott was one of Niall's sons, Fintan's brother. He openly opposed Niall, even going as far as publically supporting Niall's enemies. What Preston didn't know was that Jason, Sookie's brother, was the spitting image of Dermott.

Preston's thoughts raced. Why was Dermott there? Preston stood firm, not allowing Jason, who he thought was Dermott, to pass.

"Get the fuck out of my way!" Jason growled.

"Jason," Sookie's voice came out jagged. Jason couldn't hear her, but Preston had. His eyes went to Sookie and then back to Jason. His brow tensed. Confusion bombarded his thoughts. In his fae language Preston demanded to know what Dermott was doing.

Jason stood defiant and stared angrily at Preston, attempting to charge past him. Again Preston demanded to know what his business was.

"I don't know what your problem is," snarled Jason, "But get the fuck out of my way!"

"Jason," Sookie cried out. Jason's attention was pulled toward Sookie. Seeing her and the distress on her face alarmed Jason. He hurried toward her only to be intercepted by Preston.

"Cad ba mhaith leat leis an bhean marbh?" demanded Preston in his fae language. "Saoire nó bás," he challenged. The edges of his teeth sharpened.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Jason shoved Preston away from him.

"Níl mé an Prionsa. Ní bheidh mé trócaireach," Preston growled.

"Sookie!" Jason cried out.

"Preston," Sookie placed her palm on Preston's back. "It's alright. He's my brother. Crystal was his wife." Preston studied Jason closely, his eyes darting only once toward Sookie.

"Who is this asshole?" demanded Jason. Sookie knew that if Jason had the ability to shift without the full moon, he would have shifted and attacked Preston.

"Preston." Her voice was firm. "Stop it." She placed herself between Jason and Preston. _"This is so not the time or place,"_ she fumed privately_._ With her back facing Preston, she wrapped her arms around Jason. "I'm so sorry."

"I didn't do it Sookie," he whispered in her ear.

"I know you didn't."

"Why would someone do this to her?" he asked.

"I don't know." Sookie tried her best in that moment to comfort her brother. She knew that things between Jason and Crystal had been real bad, but Jason would have never wished something like this on Crystal.

"She was pregnant," he quietly cried.

"I'm so sorry," breathed Sookie. "I'm so sorry." For several moments, they clung to each other until the Bon Temps Sheriff's Department arrived.

"Oh shit," said Jason seeing them walking menacingly toward them. Their gaze focused on Sookie. Jason recognized the expressions on the two deputies. "Go inside Sookie," he instructed her. Jason knew most people didn't think kindly of his sister, and that included the two deputies coming toward them. Regardless of the fact that Sookie had nothing to do with Crystal's brutal death, they would find a way to implicate her.

"Sookie, please, just go inside," pleaded Jason.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Look," Jason turned to Preston. "I don't know who you are. But those two," he motioned toward the deputies who were closing in on them. "They're not real kind to my sister. I don't want her to have to endure their bullshit just now. If you care about her the way you seem to, you'll keep them away from her."

"Sookie," Preston reached for her hand.

"I'm not going anywhere." She straightened her back. Preston recognized the posture and the expression in her eyes. His jaw tightened.

"_God damn it Niall,"_ thought Preston. He surprised himself. Though there were some human euphemisms he'd picked up over the last sixty years, he wasn't prone to using their particular brand of expletives.

With a barely there smirk, he studied the stubborn beauty in front of him. Preston knew he was bigger and stronger than her. It would have been easy to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder. And though there was some glimmer of humor at the thought, he turned his attention toward the deputies and conjured up a helpful spell. If he couldn't get her inside without bruising her pride, he'd make sure no humans would notice her.

About that time, Terry was back outside and standing next to Jason and Preston. "Where's Soo…," his voice trailed off. For a split second he'd wondered what happened with Sookie. But as soon as the thought came to his mind, it vanished.

The deputies approached and questioned the three men. When they were satisfied they hurried about securing the crime scene. Not once had they noticed Sookie.

Several minutes had passed. From inside Jason's truck, Sookie called the girls and D'Eriq to let them know the bar wouldn't be opening. And despite Preston's offer to take her home, Sookie refused to leave until Crystal was brought down. She leaned her head against the head rest and studied Preston's back. He stood next to her outside the truck. Through his shirt, she could see the contours of his back. Absently, she reached through the open window, and trailed her hand over his back, admiring the sensation of his muscles and the warmth against her palm.

She was glad that she wasn't alone. Though the Sherriff's Department staff were everywhere in the parking lot, gathering evidence and taking photographs, no one thought about her or how she was handling it all.

But Preston had.

He cared and he insisted on staying with her. He was the one person who was worried about her and how she was handling everything. Sookie wasn't sure how he was doing it, but somehow he was giving her the strength to get through the day. Not having to face it alone was a new experience for her.

Bill would have never been able to be there for her. Even if he wanted to, which she was pretty sure he would have, death would have taken him. There were many times when they were together that Sookie had wished he could have been there for her in her waking hours. But he was a vampire and she was a day walker.

Quinn, who was a day walker, had other obligations; his company and his family. The best that she could have gotten from him would have been some words of consolation over the phone. He would have made pretty promises of coming to see her when he was done where ever it was in the US that he was working. And he would have come, but it wouldn't have changed the fact that she was alone at that exact moment when she would have needed him.

Preston though, he was there beside her despite it being daylight and despite his work. He was there for her. She didn't have to face this terrible day alone.

A part of her felt guilty. She hated that he had postponed his work to stay with her. However, secretly, she was relieved that he had, and she worried about whether wanting him to stay with her made her a selfish person. All she was certain of in that moment were her feelings for Preston.

"_I love you,"_ she silently said as she raked her nails across his back. Preston inhaled. He liked it when she did that. It was relaxing.

Just then, through the windshield of Jason's pickup, Sookie saw Calvin the Packmaster of the Hotshot Pack pull into the parking lot. Sookie felt her face tense with grief over Calvin's loss. Helplessly, she watched him through the windshield trying in vain to get to his daughter. The deputies who now numbered over six were keeping him from crossing the yellow police tape.

Sookie could see he was frantic. The deputies were getting ready to pull Crystal's body down. If Calvin could have, that is if common sense would have allowed him, he would have transformed and ripped every last deputy to shreds.

"I'm so sorry," Sookie had climbed out of the truck and went over to Calvin.

"I need to smell her before they touch her," his eyes were thick with grief and urgency. They stood side-by-side watching the deputies carefully bring down the crucifix. "If I'm going to pick up a scent, they can't touch her." Sookie stayed still despite sensing Calvin vibrating.

Preston listened to Calvin's concern knowing that the werepanther was right to worry. The more people who touched the body, any chance of picking up a trail would be unlikely. Preston understood what was driving Calvin.

The greatest blood offense, even among the fairies, was murder. According to the Law of Tuatha, the law that governed all fairies, the victim's blood kin could demand either monetary compensation or forfeit such payments in favor of the murderer's life. In Faery, land was currency. And a fairy's life depending on their status within their society equaled anywhere from an acre to a hectare. However, most fairies waived compensation in lieu of the murderer's life. Fairies had made an art of the practice of 'an eye for an eye'.

Watching Calvin, it was clear to Preston he was forfeiting payment in lieu of the murderer's life. Regardless, it was essential that he be allowed to inspect his daughter's body before the humans tainted any scent of the murderer.

"Let me see what I can do," said Preston. Calvin, who was too grief stricken to have noticed Preston standing next to Sookie, much less register the meaning of Preston's words, stood silent.

A few seconds later, Sookie began to pick up the sweet scent of magic that was gradually permeating the parking lot. Unlike the non-fae around them, who could not sense the magic Preston was conjuring, Sookie could. Though she was only an eighth fairy, she was enough fae to sense and sometimes even see things that normally would have been hidden from human eyes.

"Is that you?" she asked. Preston nodded, not turning away from what he was doing. The edges of his human disguise curled back. If someone looked close enough they would see he wasn't human.

Without a word, not even a wave of his hand, Preston watched as the spell he was conjuring rose, like a fog, and settled over the humans in the parking lot. The blanket of magic would allow them to come and go in front of the humans and not be seen.

"You have a few minutes," Preston told the Packmaster. Calvin turned and stared blankly at Preston. He saw instantly what Preston's true nature was.

"Fairy," Calvin growled. Had it not been for the spell that the human deputies were under, they would have noticed the commotion between the supes.

Sookie shivered at the sudden and eerie guttural sound Calvin had made. Not only had the sound startled her, but the way he spoke the word _fairy_ as if it was a communicable disease, pained her.

From Calvin's snarly thoughts, Sookie saw that he didn't trust fairies. He found them to be reliably selfish. They ultimately cared only for their own kind, not even blinking twice to kill anyone who they perceived as a threat. Fairies were about shooting first and asking questions later.

"I'm doing you a kindness, panther," calmly said Preston. "The humans will not see you." Calvin stood next to Sookie facing Preston; his eyes blank with grief. "Go," demanded Preston. "You have only minutes." Despite Preston's admonitions Calvin's distrust of fairies made him immobile. "Suit yourself."

Though the humans would not have noticed, Preston took Sookie's hand and led her to the side of Jason's truck. If Breandan's fairies were not on the loose and searching for Sookie and the twins, Preston wouldn't be ready to do what he was about to do. Away from the prying eyes of humans, he pulled his shirt and jeans off. "I'll be back," he told Sookie.

"What are you going to do?" her blue eyes were wide with concern.

"I just need to check, make sure…" his words faded as he stripped the last of his clothing. "I'm going to see if I can pick up a trail."

"Be careful," Sookie took the bundle of clothes he had removed.

She watched, her gaze transfixed on the most elegant transformation she'd ever seen. One moment Preston stood next to her, the next a large beautiful tawny colored wolf was beside her.

Carefully, she reached up, running her fingers through its silky coat. His back reached just above her waist. Standing next to a werewolf wasn't something Sookie was used to. There was no mistaking that this beautiful create was nothing other than maybe a distant cousin of the average wolf you would have seen in a zoo or in the wild. The wolf in front of her was much larger than their contemporaries.

A pair of intelligent eyes stared down at her. Though words were never spoken, she felt the meaning they conveyed. "I'll be fine," she rubbed the spot behind his ear. "Find out who did this." The tawny wolf tenderly bumped her hand with his nose, and then he stealthily turned and headed toward Crystal's body, darting between the trees.

Sookie returned to Calvin's side. A low guttural sound emanated from his chest.

"Calvin," Sookie's voice was gentle. Her gaze trapped Calvin's attention. "He's only trying to help." But despite what she said to him, she could see Calvin's prejudice ran too deep to see beyond it. To her dismay the Packmaster just stood, vibrating, but not once did he even flinch to take advantage of the opportunity Preston had provided him.

"That was amazing." Jason reappeared beside her. Like his sister, he was an eighth fairy. Though he didn't have the spark like Sookie, he was still able to see things that normally would have been hidden to human eyes.

Sookie glanced over to her brother. Of what she could make out of Jason's muddy thoughts, he envied Preston for being able to shift so effortlessly. There was almost nothing Jason wouldn't give to be a pureblood werepanther.

She was glad that he didn't suspect Preston being a fairy. But Calvin knew, and she wasn't sure if he could be trusted with Preston's secret.

Standing next to Jason, she watched as the tawny wolf inspected Crystal's body. Amazingly, the humans avoided the spaces that Preston occupied. Sookie reached out to their minds, to see if she could see and hear what they were thinking and seeing. And to her surprise, it was as if Preston didn't even exist.

Sookie looked over at Calvin. He was still in shock; numb. Standing next to him, Sookie suddenly had a different perspective over her own troubles. Having a former lover harassing her, fairies out to kill her, and the clock ticking down to Niall discovering her relationship with Preston, it was nothing compared to what Calvin was going through.

With a heavy heart for her good friend, she turned back to studying the large tawny wolf. It took Preston only a minute to pick up on three distinct scents; all were supernatural. He cocked his head up looking toward Sookie.

Briefly, their gazes locked. Her heart raced, and somehow, she wasn't sure how, but she knew he was hesitating to leave her. She reassured him with her expression and he seemed to understand because he turned, and followed an invisible trail.

Moments later he disappeared between the trees. ~

**END OF PART THREE**

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**A/N:** This brings us to the end of another section. I know there's quite a bit of unanswered questions. Rest assured all will be answered in Part Four. In the meantime, scroll down, click the button, and leave me a review. For any who are wondering what Preston said to Jason, it was actually English to Irish Google translation that created the written words he spoke.

**Translation:**

"_Cad ba mhaith leat leis an bhean marbh?"_ = "What do you want with the dead woman?"

"_Saoire nó bás."_ = "Leave or die"

"_Níl mé an Prionsa. Ní bheidh mé trócaireach."_ = "I'm not the Prince. I will not be merciful."


	21. 4: Where the Heart Is

**A/N: **A million apologies for the delay. I have not abandoned this story. Sadly, if you haven't visited my "udpates" page on my homepage, our family recently suffered a loss a few months ago. RL can be a real hag. Anyhow, between a much needed hiatus to grieve with my family and my awesome beta graduating, my updating schedule took a temporary back seat. Rest assured, I'm still writing Unwrapped. Currently, I'm making last minute edits to Chapter 25 and also revising Chapter 26. The other chapters are currently getting beta'd. Hopefully, if life doesn't throw any more curve balls, updates will be back to a weekly basis. So without any further delay, here's the beginning of Part Four.

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PART FOUR

**_Where the Heart Is_**

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Several hours after Preston had disappeared between the trees, Crystal's body was carefully removed by the county coroner's office, and was now being transported to where ever Sookie assumed people ended up after things like this.

It was only moments later that the yellow crime scene tape had been removed, and the authorities gave the all clear. That's when Sookie found herself in Sam's office making phone calls, scheduling a few shifts, and she even caught Sam on the phone. That call was the hardest for her to make. With all that Sam had to deal with, with his own mother's brush with death, Sookie felt he shouldn't have had to deal with hearing about Crystal's murder in the parking lot of his business.

The last call Sookie made was to Eric. She knew he would be dead to the world, which is largely why she made the call then. It was easier to speak to his voice mail. She apologized for not being able to meet him, explained the situation about Crystal, and informed him that she would not be available to take on any work with her running the bar for Sam.

"Oh," she quickly added. "The knife. I'm not sure when I'll have a chance to go to Shreveport, so if you need it right away, I'll be closing Merlotte's tomorrow and you can send someone to pick it up. Well…" she paused awkwardly. "Ok. Bye." Rolling her eyes at herself she hung up the phone.

With all the phone calls she needed to make taken care of, Sookie just sat quietly in the office staring off into space. She was too exhausted to feel anything anymore; maybe it was just acceptance, she wasn't sure. Without work, it left her too many hours with her mind idly pondering on things she shouldn't. But Sam was right in telling her not to open the bar until tomorrow.

"Sookie," Jason's voice came from the direction of the doorway. He had left only to come back to check on her. "You need a ride?"

"Ugh," Sookie glanced up at him, "Yeah." Preston had teleported her to Merlotte's, so she didn't have her car with her. Slowly she stood, gathering her purse before following Jason outside.

Glancing at the parking lot, she found the peacefulness surreal. An entire life had ended. It somehow felt wrong for the sun to be shining down on the asphalt, for the trees to be gently rustling in the breeze, and for the birds to be chirping spring's coming arrival.

Everything around her had gone back to living; back to normal.

There were no signs of the tragic scene that only hours earlier had branded itself on to Sookie's memory. She tried not to think about it, but she feared that when she closed her eyes to sleep, she would have to relive the terror in her dreams.

Mentally and emotionally sapped, she silently opened the door to Jason's truck and situated herself inside.

"Sookie," Jason's tone was soft. "Is it true?" he cryptically asked.

"What?" Sookie sighed. Jason pulled onto the dirt road that would lead to her house.

"Your new man…he's a fairy?" Calvin had pulled Jason aside and warned him about the fairy.

"Where did you hear that?" Sookie's affect was unreadable.

"Calvin," replied Jason. She didn't answer him. Instead a sharp silence fell between them. "The fae are bad news," Jason was grim. "They may look all pretty and sweet, but they're not Sookie."

"Don't be mean," she cautioned him.

"Sookie there's stuff about them you need to know," Jason was adamant. "The stories Calvin's dad told him would scare the shit out of a grown man. He said his dad always told him the world would be a better place if they all died out."

"Enough." Sookie chided her brother. She was weary of all the hate and intolerance people carried around toward each other. There had been Rene who killed all those women, the vampires in the next county who had been burned in their own home, the Fellowship of the Sun terrorist attack in Rhodes earlier that year, Sam's mom getting shot because she shared with her husband that she was a shifter, and now Crystal. All those deaths.

It had to stop.

"I never said noth'n untoward you when you started seeing Vampire Bill," Jason was steadfast. He believed firmly in Calvin's warning. Jason truly thought bad things would happen to his sister if she didn't cut off her association with Preston. "And I kept my mouth shut when you were with that blonde vampire," he continued, "But I can't keep quiet this time Sookie. I'm your brother," he said with a measure of dignity. "And I'm your elder. I don't want you seeing this fairy. You end it, and you end it straight away."

Sookie huffed with bewilderment. "You don't get a say Jason Stackhouse," there was an edge to her voice. "There's a lot I'll put up with from you, but not this. You don't know Preston. And truth is you don't know me." Jason visibly bristled. "You haven't known me for a real long time, and you know I'm telling the truth." The tension in the silence that fell between them was palpable. It was a few moments before Jason spoke.

"I know right now you feel like you care about this fairy," Jason's voice though low still had a grim quality. "It won't end good Sookie and you'll be the one suffering, not him."

"Jason," Sookie's jaw tensed, "I don't want to argue with you."

Jason didn't want to fight either, but he also felt it imperative that he save Sookie from Preston's influence. With every fiber in his body, he believed whatever happiness Sookie might feel now was only an illusion. Jason felt Preston would use his sister badly until she wouldn't be any good to anyone. He'd wipe her mind clear of her identity if he thought she was a threat, and he'd walk away in search of another distraction. Fairies were selfish and brutal. They took what they wanted from those around them while the world looked the other way. Based on what Jason was told by Calvin, who he respected, the fae made the devil look like a third grade bully.

On some level, Jason was right.

Fairies had the capacity for the greatest goodness the world has ever seen and possibly would ever witness, but they were also capable of the greatest atrocities that all the species of the worlds combined could ever imagine.

Jason pulled up into the driveway leading up to the house. The gravel crunched under the tires. He carefully brought the truck to a stop behind Sookie's parked car.

"Thanks for the ride," she said, not looking at her brother. She pulled up on the door handle.

"Wait." Jason reached out touching her shoulder. "I know I may not have always been a good brother to you," he conceded. "But I do love you and I want the best for you."

"I know." The majority of the time though, Jason left her wondering if he really did love her.

"I want you to be happy." Jason was sincere. From the look on his face she could see he was really worried. It was this expression that troubled Sookie. "That's why you really need to stay away from the fae," said Jason. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Bye." Sookie opened the door and climbed out of the truck. She closed the door and walked away holding Preston's clothes tightly against her chest.

Not once did she turn to look back.

Jason had never pried into her love life. It bothered her that he did now since it was so unlike him. Her resolve fractured ever so slightly, but it was enough to give birth to self doubts. The misgivings she had first felt over starting a new relationship with Preston resurfaced. She loved him more than she felt she should; needed him more than she thought was good for any person to need another.

Alone in her house, her mind imprisoned her. Confusion; agony; it advanced upon her like a mist forming over warm ground meeting cold air. She was torn about her present and her future, and the implications.

As the hours passed, her mood didn't improve. Over dinner, her gloomy disposition didn't go unnoticed. Amelia and Octavia were worried. They didn't know what had brought about this change in Sookie. In their own way they each felt the horror of Crystal's death. Yes, it had been brutal, but they were both taken back by Sookie's reaction, knowing that Sookie wasn't especially fond of Crystal. Heck, she despised the woman. But Amelia and Octavia decided not to pry.

Sometime during the evening each of the women had drifted to their respective parts of the house. Sookie occupied her hands with laundry. She stood next to the dryer, pulling out Preston's clothes. From the doorway into the laundry room, Amelia watched her friend. She was unsure how to console her best friend, but she felt compelled to say something.

"Sookie," Amelia's voice was soft and gentle. Her eyes trailed to Sookie's hands. She was lovingly folding Preston's clothes. "You want to talk?"

"I'm just really tired." Her voice was low and lifeless. "Crystal's murder; it affected me more than I would have thought possible." There was some truth in her reply.

"I think I understand." Though Sookie didn't like hugging, Amelia wrapped her arms around her friend and kissed her lightly on her cheek.

"Thanks." Sookie forced herself to smile. All of Amelia's worries bombarded her mind. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until Amelia released her. "I'm going to bed now." Sookie avoided Amelia's eyes.

"Ok," smiled Amelia. "Good night." Sookie gave her a half-hearted smile. With Preston's freshly laundered clothes neatly folded in her arms, she went to her room and closed the door.

Carefully, she laid Preston's folded jeans and brown tee shirt on the chair in the corner of her room. Her hand brushed the soft cotton of his shirt one last time. Under the chair, on the floor, perfectly positioned with the fronts forward, were Preston's shoes. Next to the chair, on the dresser, neatly aligned were the contents of Preston's jeans: cell phone, key, wallet.

For the hundredth time since getting home, she checked his cell phone again. He had three missed calls now. Sookie hesitated each time it silently had buzzed. She wasn't sure whether to answer it or not. If it was Preston trying to reach her he would have called her on either her cell or home phone. But the only call that came on the house phone had been for Octavia. Her own cell phone beeped only once, letting her know her battery was low.

As Sookie readied herself for bed, she couldn't help feel like everything had stopped working; her limbs, her heart, her lungs, her hands. The entire evening she'd felt like she was drowning in quicksand. She suffered from a slow and oppressive demise. Her lungs felt paralyzed.

It was hard to breathe.

Showered and dressed for sleep, she padded to her bed and slipped beneath her sheets. In the solitude of her room, she finally allowed herself to cry. So many times during the evening she had been tempted to call Niall. She wanted to ask him if he could find Preston for her. It wasn't like him, under the circumstances, not to call her or leave her some message.

"_Something's wrong,"_ she lamented.

Sookie agonized; every minute in the darkness felt like an eternity. She tossed back and forth in her bed. A month ago, her Gran's house, where she was surrounded by her childhood memories, had felt like home. Tonight, it didn't hold the same comfort as it once had.

A piece of her felt missing. Or maybe it was the house that was missing something.

"_Preston,"_ she cried into her pillow, her breath catching. Not being able to feel him next to her, hear his sounds, or feel his life humming calmly around her – she felt unbalanced. Cold. Alone.

Nothing felt right.

Preston was god knows where and far away from her. Niall wanted Preston as far away from her as possible, Calvin hated Preston, and now Jason didn't want her seeing Preston. With tears in her eyes, she squeezed her pillow.

She wished now that she would have told Preston to leave when he first came into Merlotte's. Then maybe she wouldn't be hurting like she was now. It seemed as if her life would have somehow been simpler if she had only told him, _no. _

But she wanted him, even now hurting as she was, she still wanted him.

Having been with Preston had felt more like home than her Gran's house did at that moment. She wished that she could _zap_, because if she could, she would have _zapped_ herself to Baton Rouge where at least she would have been surrounded by Preston's scent.

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	22. 4: Surrendering the Truth

PART FOUR

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**Surrendering the Truth**

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With its paw, the tawny colored wolf scratched at the ground as he sniffed the scent marking the spot. He huffed, letting out a strange low rattling rumble. Weaving back and forth around the house where the trail ended, the wolf began to sniff the air, his nose pointed straight up.

Nothing was hidden from his keen sense of smell.

Away from Sookie, Preston had followed as far as he could the scents he had picked up in the parking lot of Merlotte's. He was not sure who the third trail belonged to; it was too faint. But it was the other two scents, so entangled that it seemed to be only one person that had alarmed him.

The trail dead ended where the Panther scent was prolific.

Looking around the property, carefully inspecting it for any signs of the enemy, Preston was concerned with how close the property was to where Sookie lived.

There was no time to waste. He had to go to Faery.

Transforming back to a man, his hand quickly went to the phantom pocket where he usually kept his cell phone. Instead he found only his bare skin. Sookie had his clothes. The thought of her brought her face to the forefront of his mind's eye. He had to make sure she would be safe, so with an ache in his heart, he teleported first to Shreveport and then to Monroe. The measures he put into play were the best he could do for now to ensure some kind of protection for Sookie.

About the time that morning was reaching Bon Temps, Preston found himself properly attired and in Niall's waiting chamber in Faery. His request for an audience had been accepted.

With the possibility of his happiness with Sookie ending, Preston stood surrounded by elegant carved pillars wrapped in vines of ambrosia growing up from the fertile ground. As Preston's senses were enveloped by the sweet and perfect aromatic perfume of ambrosia, it was not enough to ward off the harsh weight pressing against his chest. It was a good possibility that in order to protect the woman he loved, he would have to give her up.

"The Prince will receive you now." An ethereal woman of auburn hair approached Preston. Her steps so elegant she seemed to float across the stone floor. She was more apparition than flesh.

"Thank you." Preston nodded and followed the elemental past the great doors that would lead into the Fairy Court. An expression between a question and confusion skirted across Preston's handsome face, but he remained silent. Obediently, he followed her, leaving the waiting chamber's expanse airiness and into a long narrow corridor.

An elemental was the purist form of fae. Elementals were rare creatures, born only every ten centuries. When they matured, they gravitated to those that they felt the inclination to evolve into. This elemental, would one day become a sky fairy.

Sensing Preston's apprehension, the elemental spoke. "Prince Niall has called for a recess," her angelic voice soft as a whisper, but sufficiently strong enough to be clearly heard. "He will see you in his private chamber." Though Preston remained silent, with her back toward the earth fairy, the elemental felt him nod in understanding.

The private areas of the Fairy Court were places Preston was unfamiliar with. The many turns of the narrow corridors gave the sense of navigating through a maze of stone and hedges of ambrosia.

The disconcerting maze was intentional; magic that protected the High Prince's private residence from the public area and any who may wonder upon the passages. Without a guide, a person would wonder aimlessly for hours only to eventually find themselves where they began.

Lost in his own thoughts, Preston almost crashed into the elemental. An amused expression lit her eyes as she studied the young fairy. "You may enter," she stated matter-of-fact. Preston nodded and entered the tapered opening. Quickly, he saw it was yet another narrow corridor of stone. The elemental followed behind him. She glided so silently, even to a fairy's keen hearing, she could not be heard. Out of a nervous inclination, Preston turned and glanced at her quickly. Another small smile of amusement drew the corners of her lips back. This was a typical reaction from all who first saw her.

At the end of the narrow hallway, Preston turned. The corridor's stone walls turned into an archway of ambrosia weaved in and out of the stone lattice. Preston hesitated, but continued cautiously to the end, following the walls to a final turn, which opened onto to a chamber.

"Preston," Reece, Niall's personal assistant greeted him. "Come in," he encouraged the young fairy. "Niall is expecting you." Preston's eyes followed to the area Reece gestured toward. Waiting for him was Niall and his son Dillon.

"I will leave now." Dillon rose, bowing respectfully to his father and Prince. Turning, Dillon approached the earth fairy. "Preston," Dillon smiled encouragingly at the young fairy. His hand resting on Preston's shoulder, he gave him a reassuring squeeze before turning and taking the same path down the narrow corridor. Preston's gaze followed Dillon as he disappeared and found that the elemental along with Reece were also gone.

"Come closer," Niall gestured to Preston. The report Niall had received only days before had confirmed in part the gossip circulating around the vampire world. Yesterday, his own agent had returned with a full report. As Niall had suspected, Sookie's new lover was Preston. He wasn't entirely surprised. Like Reece, Niall knew there was a possibility of an attachment forming between Preston and Sookie. But he had taken a gamble that they wouldn't become attached. Based on the information he received, there was no doubt in Niall's mind that the two young lovers, more than likely, had been together since shortly after Christmas.

Majestically standing in his position, Niall watched the young fairy approach and bow.

As Preston's eyes were averted away from Niall's gaze, Niall gently nodded his head remembering his own youth and his beloved, Einin. Just as his own relationship with Einin and his father had reached an impasse, he knew yesterday the same would be true with Preston and Sookie. As to when he would have received a request for an audience from Preston or Sookie, he was unsure.

"Speak," Niall directed Preston who rose from his kneeling position. "I'm sure you haven't come all this way to simply remain silent."

"No," Preston cleared his voice. "I…I…" Niall's malachite green eyes fixed solidly on the young fairy. His jaw sharp, broad, and firm; his shoulders strong, wide, and solid. The Prince gave the sense of being impassible. Niall would not make this easy for Preston. His penetrating gaze was intimidating. Forcing the air out of his lungs, Preston declared, "I love her." His sincerity matched what Niall saw in the young fairy's eyes. A sigh of release overcame Preston. After months of hiding, he had finally surrendered the truth.

The Prince stood silent, measuring the young fairy's conviction.

Heart pounding against his chest, Preston waited for some queue from Niall, but the Prince didn't once blink. The long silence was grave. Not even the wind could be heard. Several times Preston found himself fighting against his nerves and fear.

"You disobeyed me." Niall's clear and commanding voice convicted the young fairy.

"I never agreed to stay away from her," Preston resisted the urge to look away from Niall's harsh gaze, "Though I did try."

"You've defied a _Prince_." Niall condemned the young fairy.

"No," Preston answered honestly. "I've remained loyal. I have stayed out of her bed." Niall huffed. "She's everything to me. She is my air." Preston's certainty was unwavering. "How can another, even a Prince, order me not to breathe again?" Secretly, Niall gave the young fairy points for finding an _'out'_. "_He's not entirely without hope," _thought Niall_._ Preston was smart.

With eyes ever fixed on the young fairy, Naill let out a puff of air. His head slightly moving from side-to-side he stated, "You're a fool."

"If I'm a fool," settled Preston. "I thank my ancestors that I am a happy fool who has seen the glory of the Summerlands in the love of another."

"You would forfeit your life?"

"What life I have, belongs to her." Another long suspenseful silence fell upon the room. Niall carefully considered the young fairy's words.

"What of the obligation to your kin, what of that?"

"Of all my obligations, the one that holds weight is my obligation to her."

"She will grow old, while you do not," matter-of-factly stated Niall. "What of your love then?" Though the words were bile in Niall's mouth, he needed to paint the reality; the inevitable outcome of Preston's connection to his beloved great-grandchild. "Will your devotion cease when her arms wither and grow fragile with age? Or when her bosom looses their youthfulness? Where will your pretty words of love be then?"

Preston's expression tensed with grief. He didn't want to ponder on thoughts of seeing Sookie's life slipping away.

"I know my words pain you," gently stated Niall. "It is Sookie's happiness not just now, but also her happiness at the end of her life that concerns me." Niall paused, allowing his words to sink deeply into Preston's heart. "There is nothing that I would withhold from her; _she_ only need ask me. I do not doubt that _you_ love her. But at your word, I will not sanction your connection with her, only to see you walk away when she is gray and fragile." Niall paused and then continued, his voice firm, "You speak of a path you have not seen with open eyes."

"What would you have me do?" Preston snapped. His jaw tightened.

"Enough with your hasty words," cautioned Niall. His gaze narrowed a warning at Preston. "Speak of what brought about this confession and defiance."

Taking a deep breath, Preston spoke. "I've come to you because I picked up Lochlan and Neave's scent on a woman found killed in Bon Temps. She had been connected to your great-grandson, and had been with child." Niall's ears perked up. "I suspect your enemies have discovered the location of your great-grandchild."

A long pensive stillness fell upon Niall.

"I fear her life may be in danger," confessed Preston. "You are certain my enemies have closed in on her existence?" asked Niall. "Yes your majesty," stated Preston. The skin between Niall's brows twitched and tensed, bunching and creating a few deep indentations. "I feared this much," admitted Niall. Both fairies stood in contemplation. One wondering what would come next, the other strategizing.

"Bring me my son Dermott alive," Niall's voice was just above a whisper. "And I will consider the price for your defiance paid." Preston nodded. "Reece will fill you in on his last known location," explained Niall. "You're also to cease any and all contact with my great-grandchild."

"I can't just disappear without a word," Preston paused. "Please," he pleaded with the Prince.

Niall felt the burden of his order, remembering the crushing of his own life when his father had ordered him never to return to Einin. The pain of heart and spirit he suffered from marrying Branna and sharing the marriage bed with her, was as fresh centuries later as it was then.

"You have one day," conceded Niall, swallowing the pain of his private memories. "You are restricted regardless of your own personal feelings from speaking to her our words today. Your future rests with her, as it is the way of my people."

In one sentence, Niall had included Sookie among his house. Preston could never ask her; only Sookie could make such a request. Hesitantly, Preston nodded. Among Niall's people, the royal house of Brigant, it was their males and females who extended the offer of courtship even the offer of lifelong mates. It was never the other way around.

"I'll respect the way of your people," Preston solemnly agreed. This was the only way he knew how to give Sookie what she wanted. The stress from keeping their relationship secret was weighing heavily on her. He knew that as sweet and precious as their stolen moments together were, their happiness was constantly laced with grief. For even their happiness was stolen.

"It is time your majesty." The elemental appeared in Niall's chamber.

"I must go," Niall explained to Preston. "Reece will debrief you." With these last words, Niall left through the corridor, his elemental and his son Dillon by his side.

Without pause, Reece asked, "I understand I'm to debrief you?"

"Yes," Preston's voice was grim. "Dermott; what do you know?" Over the next hour Preston sat across from Reece gathering all the information he would need to track down Dermott. All details down to where Dermott was to be taken were discussed.

"Under no circumstances is the Prince's son to be harmed," Reece reminded Preston. "At any point in his capture, if it seems that he will be harmed, you are to cease and desist. Is that clear?" he asked the young fairy. Preston nodded, "Understood." Following Reece's lead, Preston stood. He exhaled and quietly followed Reece down the corridors until he reached the courtyard to the Court. "Oberon speed young fairy," Reece wished Preston. Another nod and Preston was on his way back to the Realm of Men.

It took several long moments, but when Preston finally arrived at Bon Temps, the Witches, Jonathan, and Mór were waiting for him in Sookie's kitchen. In the early hours of the morning, when the sun hadn't yet welcomed the day, they hurriedly prepared to get done what had to be done.

Several hours later, exhausted (mind, body, and soul) Preston left his companions in Sookie's kitchen. Without thinking, Preston grabbed the questionable afghan draped across the back of Sookie's couch and dropped himself on to the sofa. The second his body touched the cushions, he was out cold.

A short time later, Sookie began to stir as awareness began to pull at the edges of her mind. Opening her eyes, she stared at her alarm clock. It took several long seconds for her vision to clear. She was wake. Suddenly her heart registered the sharp ache at the center of her chest. Just as she was beginning to cave under the pain, her mind registered several smooth thick brain patterns in the house.

Without a thought, she bolted out of her bed. As quickly as her legs could carry her without running, she went into the living room. At first her eyes saw nothing, but her telepathy told her differently. Hurrying on her toes, she rushed to look over the back of the sofa.

Her breath caught at the back of her throat.

Preston was sleeping on his stomach. Lazily, one arm dangled over the edge, the back of his hand touching the floor. One foot hung over the sofa cushion. He'd half wrapped himself in her Gran's afghan.

Kneeling down next to him, Sookie carefully inspected him, making sure she didn't see any blood. He was barefoot and shirtless. All he had on were his jeans. Combing her fingers lovingly through his hair, she felt the gloom from the night before lift and clear.

Tucking his hair behind his ear, she knew he'd only showered a short while ago. His hair was damp. Leaning forward, she kissed him several times on his cheek.

"Good morning sugar," gently whispered Octavia. Sookie turned her head toward the old woman. "He got here about three hours ago."

"Oh," Sookie breathed. Her gaze returned to Preston's sleeping form.

"Come on," Octavia's grandmotherly voice drew Sookie's attention to her again. "I'll pour you some coffee." Sookie didn't want to leave Preston. "He won't be waking up any time soon. He was up all night and into this morning."

Sookie hesitated. Why was it that Octavia seemed to know so much and she didn't? Why hadn't he woke her up when he got here? Sookie pushed her questions aside. She leaned forward again and tenderly kissed him on his cheek, her lips lingering as she inhaled his familiar clean scent.

Preston didn't even stir. Exhaustion had swept him under into a deep restorative sleep.

Octavia stood in the area of the foyer waiting for Sookie. She watched the young woman reluctantly stand. There was so much love in Sookie's face for the fairy on her sofa; it touched Octavia deeply.

"Why don't you make yourself presentable," suggested Octavia. "We have guests with us this morning." Sookie's brow tensed. Without any argument, she returned to her room to make her self presentable. With a renewed sense of happiness she dressed, washed, and made her way into the kitchen. "_Today is a sunbathing day," _decided Sookie as she pressed her hand on the door leading into the kitchen.

Before the door closed behind her, Sookie's jaw dropped at the sight in front of her. "What—" she closed her mouth. Sookie's eyes were wide and her forehead wrinkled at the scene in the kitchen. Sitting at her kitchen table was Jonathan the pixie from Urban Cooks. Next to him was a messy dark haired, short, and stocky man. Though he looked human, he wasn't. He was a dwarf. And Sookie knew instantly what he was. She knew only two other dwarfs; Dr. Ludwig and Mr. Hobbs. But like Mr. Hobbs, this dwarf was built to stop a semi-truck.

Then there was Amelia, as happy as a pig in mud next to them. She was gathering up curious looking objects Sookie was certain were magical things. Amelia was placing them back into her black leather bag, which Sookie recognized instantly. It was where Amelia kept some of her most valuable magical supplies. The case looked more like a doctor's case than a Witch's bag.

"Mornin' sleepy head," chimed Amelia, putting the last of her things away and slipping her bag onto the floor next to her.

"Good morning," Jonathan nodded his head.

"Mornin' mama," drawled the stocky dwarf. "I'm Mór, Preston's friend," the dwarf nodded his head. "_Wow," _was all he could think. Sookie was a beauty.

When he had learned that morning that the woman who had caught his friend's heart was none other than the famed telepath the vampires were always gossiping about, he was immediately worried for his friend. A fairy hanging out with an asset that belonged to the vampires was like running across oncoming traffic. It was an accident waiting to happen.

But seeing her now for himself, he understood all the fuss.

This human woman was part fairy. Mór recognized it the moment he saw her walk in to the kitchen. _"Damn,_" his friend was a goner. _ "Well, at least he'll die with a smile on his face," _thought Mór.

"Good Mornin'," Sookie hesitated. "What's goin' on?" her eyes scanned everyone's faces.

"We've been warding your house," Jonathan smiled wearily. Preston had showed up at the crack of dawn at his home looking for a favor. On the surface it seemed helpless enough, but it was the reason for the wards that Jonathan in particular had hesitated. He was not interested in getting involved in any fairy intrigues. For a few hundred years now, the fairies had been hell bent on killing each other, and the rest of the fae had given them a wide berth to get it done. After all, everyone was entitled to their own prerogative.

Mór on the other hand, being a dwarf, was an equal opportunity entrepreneur. He saw Preston's favor as a business transaction. The currency: _a favor_. Dwarfs had no qualms catering their special services to other supernaturals. Their best clients were actually vampires. So needless to say, it didn't take much persuasion to get Mór to Bon Temps to help conjure up a ward around Sookie's home.

Jonathan on the other hand, was harder to persuade. Preston had pleaded with him. Had they not been good friends, he would have told Preston, _'you're all out of luck'_. Jonathan had more too loose than Mór. He had a family to think about. Breandan's minions, Lochlan and Neave, were "_crazy sons of bitches"._ Rumor had it that they'd cut their victims piece-by-piece, starting with the toes and working up, eating their victims right in front of the _poor bastards_. But Preston was one of the best at _camouflaging magic_, so he was confident when he promised Jonathan that his identity would be safe. Only then was Preston able to begin swaying Jonathan into helping with the wards around Sookie's house.

As for Octavia and Amelia, they jumped at the opportunity. It was a once in a lifetime chance. Amelia was certain that it was unprecedented. So, too eagerly, the Witches helped with the spell.

In Sookie's living room, they had each spun their spells, and an exhausted Preston, as an earth fairy only could, weaved the spells of the Witches, the dwarf, and the pixie together.

Nothing would be getting through the wards that were now protecting Sookie's home.

"O.K.," Sookie slowly said. "Why?"

"Why don't you sit down," said Octavia pouring Sookie a cup of coffee. The aroma filled Sookie with little shudders of happiness. She eagerly picked up the mug and took her first sip.

"I'll serve you some breakfast," smiled Amelia. "I made you a plate." Amelia stood up and went over to the refrigerator to pull out the plate. They had made breakfast for everyone after the house had been warded.

"Well," sighed Mór, "Thank you for breakfast. I hate to eat and run, but I gotta get goin'. I've got work."

"Anytime," Octavia smiled ear-to-ear. "It was a pleasure."

"It was, wasn't it," sincerely agreed Mór. "Ma'am," he tilted his head toward Sookie. "It was enchanting meeting you."

"I need to get back as well," Jonathan smiled. "Can I catch a ride with you Mór?"

"Sure," he gave Jonathan a friendly slap on his back.

"It was a pleasure ladies," Jonathan bowed. A few more customary farewells were made between the Witches, the dwarf, and the pixie. Then Octavia walked them both out to the back door and off the covered porch.

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on?" asked Sookie the moment Octavia came back in to the kitchen.

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	23. 4: Touch Piece

PART FOUR

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**Touch Piece**

* * *

.

"As you know, I'm an early riser," explained Octavia, "I was sitting there," she gestured to the chair Sookie was sitting in, "Enjoying my coffee, when I heard a knock on the back door." The old Witch's attention darted between Amelia and Sookie. "Of course I wondered who in the world would be knocking on our door at five in the morning. But because it was coming from the back door, I figured it had to be someone that knew Sookie well. Otherwise, they would have used the front door." Sookie tried her best not to roll her eyes. She just wanted a quick answer. Instead she was getting a play-by-play.

"When I pulled back the curtain," continued Octavia, "Low and behold, it was Sookie's Preston. He looked exhausted," she added. "Well, of course I let him in. I asked if everything was fine, because he was rather worn. That's when he explained that he needed my help and Amelia's. Said that your great-grandfather's enemies had learned where you lived, and that it was very important that we ward the house." Sookie's heart sunk. She wasn't sure much more low-profile she could live her life. She never went out or socialized with anyone…except for Preston and Amelia.

"Well, as I'm sure you would guess," said Octavia. "I told him of course we'd help. He explained that he was expecting two friends. They were coming to help with the wards. So as you can imagine, I was beside myself. I quickly went and woke up Amelia, and explained Preston's plan. When I came back down the stairs he asked for some coffee. So I put on a fresh pot," Octavia continued. "It was another hour before his friends arrived. In the meantime, we cleared the furniture from the center of the living room. Preston explained he needed plenty of room to weave the spells we would be creating. It was so exciting," beamed Octavia.

Sensing Sookie's growing impatience, Amelia interjected, "We won't bore you with the specifics. After we finished warding the house against fairies, we put everything back. That's when Octavia made breakfast for everyone."

"Oh," said Octavia, pulling out a small object from her front apron pocket. "He also had us ward this for you." Octavia, who was closest to Amelia, handed it to her young student.

"Why?" asked Sookie. Whatever Octavia handed Amelia, it was wrapped in a handkerchief.

"It was the most magical thing I've ever seen," gushed Amelia.

"_Mary, mother of Jesus and all the saints,"_ prayed Sookie. She wasn't Catholic, but she felt she needed all the help she could get to be patient with her roommates.

"He asked for something made of iron and for something made of silver," explained Amelia. "I had a tiny Buddha made of iron I picked up ages ago on a trip to Taiwan. I brought him that and Octavia had a pair of silver earrings. Preston had us set them on the table."

"This part is amazing," squealed Octavia.

"_O.k.,"_ thought Sookie.

"I've read about alchemy but I've never seen it performed," said Amelia.

"What do you mean?" Sookie sighed heavily.

"Most people think of alchemy as the ability to change any metal into gold," answered Amelia. "But real alchemy is much more than that. Taking the tiny Buddha and the silver earrings, Preston melted the two metals and created something new."

"His magic is strong." Octavia was reverential.

"He forged both metals together and made this." Holding out her open hand with the handkerchief, Amelia carefully removed the edges away from the center. Unconsciously, Sookie leaned forward in her chair, her eyes fixed attentively on Amelia's hand.

Laying innocently and unimposing was a small object.

"That's it?" asked Sookie. Unsure of what she had expected, a worn out coin was not it. Amelia gave Sookie a disapproving look. This was a touch piece; something of legend. With a flick of her hand, Amelia excused her friend's ignorance of such things.

"I don't know how he did it, but he took the spell we all conjured and forged it into this. I can feel its power. I've never seen anything like it—it was amazing."

"So am I supposed to wear that?" Sookie dubiously gazed at the touch piece. The dark and light striations gave it the appearance of an old worn Roman coin.

"You need to keep it with you at all times," said Amelia.

"It holds very strong magic," explained Octavia. A wave of uneasiness crept up into Sookie's belly. Ever since the Witch War, Sookie was uncomfortable around magic. It made her nervous.

"What's it supposed to do?" she asked.

"It will alert you to danger," answered Octavia.

"How," she gestured to the small object in Amelia's palm, "will that know that there is danger?" Though Sookie didn't doubt the power of magic, she'd seen it in action, but she still couldn't help feel skeptical at the small object's ability to warn her of danger.

"That's why it's called magic," slowly answered Octavia. "It's very valuable," she said. "I've heard of people paying into the hundreds of thousands of dollars for something like this."

There was no doubt in Sookie's mind that the old Witch was right. She only wondered that if fairy magic was the strongest magic out there, why Preston involved Amelia, Octavia, the dwarf, and Jonathan. She would have to ask him when he woke up.

"Let me see it," gestured Sookie. Amelia handed over the touch piece to Sookie. Taking it into her hand, it didn't feel any different than holding a quarter. Granted it was thicker and had a bit more weight than a quarter. Other than that, it was as unimposing as a faceless coin.

"Well I hate to cut our little party short," smiled Amelia, "But Octavia if you'd like to use my car while I'm at work, we really need to be going." Reaching to the floor, Amelia lifted her bag and stood.

"Let me get my purse," Octavia unfastened her apron, placing it on the hook before disappearing into the hallway.

"So how will this thing work actually?" asked Sookie before Amelia left the kitchen. "Will it glow when evil Orcs are near?" she bit her lip so as not to grin.

"No," Amelia huffed, "It won't glow, and it won't sing either. These things work differently depending on the owner."

"Then how do you know it won't glow?"

"I just don't think that in your case, it will," answered Amelia.

"Fine," breathed Sookie. Amelia blew her a kiss right before she opened the door into the hallway. Alone in the kitchen, Sookie forgot about her coffee and studied her little coin like object_. _

Several moments later, Octavia and Amelia left, leaving Sookie and Preston alone in the house.

Slipping the touch piece into her pocket, Sookie went into the living room where Preston was sleeping on the sofa. Carefully, she climbed onto the sofa, inhaling Preston's scent. Still too sleepy, Preston rolled to one side and drew her next to him, sharing the deep sofa and his warmth with her.

"Ouch." He suddenly pushed Sookie away.

"What is it?" panic and hurt filled her voice. Without a word, Preston took his hand encased in _ClearSkin_, the name of the special glove invented by a fairy owned science lab, and slipped his fingers into the front pocket of Sookie's pants.

"This," he held up Sookie's touch piece. "It has iron."

"Oh," Sookie took it from him. "Are you ok?" she asked, her eyes scanning Preston's body. As if it had been choreographed they both glanced down to his hip where a burn mark appeared just above the waistline of his jeans. "Preston," she gasped. Sookie quickly placed her touch piece on the coffee table and turned her attention to his hip.

"I'm fine," he assured her lifting his hips enough so that he could study the damage. Sookie's touch piece had branded him. A small striated irregular burn marked the front of his hip.

"Are you sure?"

"You could kiss it," he gave her sleepy smile. She bit her lip. Already kneeling on the floor next to the sofa, Sookie slowly leaned forward, her eyes watching his expression. Preston hadn't realized he was holding his breath until her soft lips touched him. His breath hitched, with the surge of sensation rushing through his body from her kiss. He felt his manhood twitch. Gingerly, Sookie placed small kisses on his sensitive skin, avoiding the burn mark. Hearing Preston breathless under her power was always intoxicating to Sookie.

"Better?" she asked innocently, climbing back next to him on the sofa.

An ache radiated in Preston's chest at the sudden realization that this would be the last time he would get to have with Sookie. In order to give her everything that she deserved, Preston would have to wait for her. There was no other way around it. If they were to have a future, one that was not stolen, he would have to respect her fairy kin's ways. As it was customary among the Royals, she had to be the one to court him with no prompting from him.

Careful not to rub against Preston's hip, Sookie snuggled next to him, letting out a contented sigh. The last eighteen hours without a word from Preston had felt like an eternity to Sookie. She hated him not being within her reach, either by phone or touch.

"You were gone so long," Sookie's voice was soft. Preston held her firmly.

"I'm sorry." With his eyes closed, he kissed her on her cheek. "I hurried to get back to you as fast as I could."

"I was worried." She burrowed her cheek into his chest. "I missed you."

"I'm here now," he yawned. Despite her mind racing with so many questions, knowing how exhausted Preston was, Sookie kept her questions for later. Quietly, she decided to relish having Preston with her all morning until she had to start her night shift.

Even though Preston fought against the fatigue pressing against him, the silence of the house, Sookie safely in his arms, he was fast asleep. Laying in Preston's embrace, Sookie enjoyed a morning nap. That is until her human needs woke her up.

As carefully as she humanly was able, she got off the couch. Though she accidently jostled him a few times, Preston didn't even shift. Giving him a kiss, Sookie left him on the sofa. Once she took care of her human needs, she busied herself with her day. Having Preston back with her invigorated her with a new sense of purpose and energy.

In an hour she'd cleaned her bedroom, even changing out the sheets. It was late morning when she found herself back in the kitchen washing the breakfast dishes. Through the window over the sink, the sun, in all its glory, was beckoning Sookie. This was sunbathing weather.

Slipping into the living room, she checked up on her sleeping fairy on the sofa. A bright smile spread across her face. Laying on his back, one of his arms dangled idly over the edge of the sofa, one leg bent away from his other leg opening his hips. _ "So handsome,"_ breathed Sookie. Her lips perched into a pout when she saw his burn mark. Why he would have given her something made of iron, escaped her understanding.

Satisfied that Preston was safe and still with her, Sookie grabbed her touch piece off the coffee table and went to her room. It took her only minutes to slip into the two pieces of cloth that equaled her bathing suit. As she stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her bosoms into the small fabric that covered each of them, Sookie's gaze caught the ancient worn out coin like object where she had sat it down on the dresser.

Knowing that Preston had created it, Sookie rummaged through a small jewelry box. None of her chains looked like they would work. Instead she opted for a ribbon. Securely wrapping her touch piece inside the ribbon, Sookie very intentionally wrapped it around her wrist, using her teeth and free hand to tie it on. It would have to work for now.

With her sunbathing tote in hand, and flip flops on her feet, Sookie swung by the living room one last time only to find Preston breathing heavily. She smiled, kissing him one more time before heading outside.

There was a slight breeze, but it wasn't enough to dissuade Sookie from her sun worshipping ritual. Sitting her tote bag on the lawn where she could optimize on the sun's rays, Sookie made her way toward the shed where she kept her folding lounge chair and the other lawn furniture she had picked up on sale at Wal-Mart.

As she busily moved things around in the shed, Sookie knew more than half the junk in the shed needed to go. So she made a mental note to tell Jason to come and get what he wanted. Her grandfather's tools, all which looked ancient, were still where they had been left. Even the crate of old iron horse shoes and the crate full of old rusted chains were all still there as well.

Carefully, she pulled out one piece of lawn furniture at a time, leaning them against the shed. When Preston woke up she'd ask him to set them out and give them a good hosing. _"Without a shirt," _she grinned. As she side stepped the chairs to go back into the shed for her lounge, she froze.

A strange dull tingling sensation filled her body. The odd feeling was more intense at her wrist. _"Funny bone?" _thought Sookie. Instinctively, her other hand went to rub the wrist decorated with her touch piece_._ The instant her other hand touched it, the strange prickling rushed through her other hand.

She jerked her hand away.

Inside her chest, her heart raced.

"_Danger."_ This was Sookie's last thought. The dull tingly sensation surged. Sookie spun around.

.

* * *

.


	24. 4: What About Murray?

PART FOUR

* * *

**What about Murray?**

* * *

.

Sookie gasped audibly. Standing in front of her was an ethereal man; a fairy. He wasn't as tall as Preston, but he was still taller than her. Sookie had never seen him before. Claude's words to her only a day or so earlier echoed in the back of her mind. Inside her chest, her heart pulsated at an alarming rate.

"Well, well," cockily sneered the fairy in front of her, his pale blue eyes fixed solidly on Sookie. Her eyes darted behind the fairy, quickly looking for an escape route.

"What do you want?" Sookie's voice trembled. Whoever the fairy was, her touch piece was screaming to her _danger, danger. _"If you're here for Preston, he's inside. I can go get him," she rambled on.

"I don't think so," the fairy snickered taking a step closer to Sookie, "He's still in Faery."

"You're wrong." Sookie took a step back.

"I'm going to enjoy making you shriek." A menacing smile spread across his unearthly face, revealing perfectly sharp white teeth. He reached for Sookie. "No!" she screamed. Panic slammed into her consciousness. Terror raged through her veins. Sookie flailed her arms wildly.

All it took was one uncoordinated step; she fell.

Air rushed out of her lungs as she hit the ground, landing half inside the shed and half outside it. "Get away from me," Sookie cried out, wildly kicking her legs to dissuade him from grabbing hold of her. He took several steps back to avoid her kicks. Twisting, she looked to gain some leverage to rush to her feet. She was too slow.

In a flash the fairy crushed her body under his weight.

"Get off," she chocked. The force of Sookie's unsuccessful scream scarped the back of her throat. With dust on her lips, Sookie kicked her legs violently.

"Oh," the fairy moaned. "I'm really going to enjoy this." He pressed his hips into the soft mounds of Sookie's scantily clad bottom.

"No," she shrieked. "Preston!" she screamed; her voice hoarse. Sookie was confident that he would come. She just needed to buy herself some time.

Cruel fingers clamped around her thighs, bruising them. With more force than was necessary he forcefully jerked Sookie's thighs apart, forcing her bottom to come up at just the right angle.

Desperately she clawed for something to use as a weapon; anything to buy her a few seconds for Preston to get to her. For once, her self-preservation had reared its powerful head. The horror that had clouded her mind, cleared. It took only a second. Instantly Sookie's eyes caught the sight of a crate under the work table. Blindly, her hand reached into the crate. The raw wood snagged at the ribbon wrapped around her wrist. Her fingers found something cool with weight.

Suddenly sharp teeth buried themselves into her bare shoulder.

A high pitched piercing scream filled Sookie's property. It was a sound that created no known word. It was a primal sound. A shrill cry that alerted any who were near of danger.

Preston jolted to his feet.

His chest heaved; his heart pumping, shooting adrenalin like rocket fuel through his veins.

Still screaming, instinctively Sookie's hand jerked up out of the crate; continued its movement above her head, striking the fairy on the top of his head with a horseshoe.

A sharp painful screech rushed out from the fairies lungs.

One moment he was on top of Sookie forcing himself on her. The next, he was pulling away from her. "You human bitch," snarled the fairy, his hands clutching hesitantly the sides of his head.

Like a small animal, free from the fairy's weight, Sookie scratched at the hardened ground for any friction; moving on her own strength; dirt digging into her knees. She was on her feet. And without hesitation Sookie darted past the fairy.

Her desperate attempt to escape failed.

The fairy reached out with one hand, gripping Sookie's ankle. Before she could register what happened, she was face down on the ground again. Contorting her body, Sookie twisted herself and kicked at the fairy's hand; struggling to break free.

With her back against the house, she couldn't see the porch screen fly open.

A streak flashed across the lawn.

Preston suddenly appeared over the fairy. With one hand clamped around the fairy's throat, his other fist landed blow after wild blow. Flesh and bone battling echoed in the space around them.

Wide eyed, Sookie's gaze froze on Preston.

Despite the fairy underneath Preston's grip going limp, he didn't stop. Sookie watched him land one punch after another. Each second felt like an eternity. Exhausted, Preston straightened, taking a few unsteady steps back. The fairy in his hand dropped like a wet noodle onto the grass.

From her position on the ground, Sookie's gaze trailed over Preston's body. His bare chest twitched from exertion. Every muscle in Preston's body, from his abdomen to his chest and neck, shoulders and down into his forearms glistened under the late morning sun. The knuckles of his hitting hand were torn and bleeding.

"Preston?" Sookie's expression was tense with concern for him. Preston's gaze found her. She was bleeding. Immediately he reached for Sookie, scooping her up into his arms; her own wrapping around his neck. "My thingamabob," she whispered. In her struggle with the fairy, she'd lost her makeshift bracelet.

"What?" Preston continued walking toward the house unsure if there were more fairies or not.

"Nothing."

"You're bleeding."

"You are too," she pointed out. Looking over Preston's shoulder, she saw the fairy unconscious on her lawn. "What are you going to do with him?"

"He won't be waking up any time too soon," he assured her, taking the steps up the back porch. The screen door barely dangled on one last stubborn screw. "I'll fix your door."

"It's okay," Sookie breathed into his neck. A screen door was the least of her worries. They had an unconscious fairy in her yard. One who just tried to rape and kill her.

Stepping into the kitchen, Preston sat Sookie on the counter next to the sink where he could take a better look at her injury. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" he asked inspecting the bite. "Fuckin' fairy," he growled. "Here," he handed Sookie a dish towel. With another towel he held it against her back just beneath her shoulder.

"Ouch," Sookie squeaked.

"Sorry," Preston's face tensed. With the faucet nozzle, Preston flushed Sookie's wound. Sitting it back in place, he wadded up clean paper towels and pressed them onto her wound. "Hold this firmly," he instructed her.

"It stings." Preston nodded. Moving away from Sookie, he began rummaging through the cabinets, pulling out ordinary looking kitchen ingredients and tools. He moved fast, but just slow enough for Sookie to make out his movements.

"Where are you going?" her voice was on the verge of panic as Preston went to leave.

"To the flower garden," he answered Sookie. Outside, his eyes quickly scanned Sookie's flower bed searching for something that resembled a weed. Within seconds he found what he was looking for.

The moment he stepped through the doorway, Sookie's gaze followed him, noting the weed in his hand. Attentively she watched him wash it. Never leaving her spot on the counter she was mesmerized by what he was doing. In several minutes he had created a paste. "What is that for?" Sookie nervously asked as Preston applied it to her wound.

"It's a paste of _hydrastis canadensis_." She had no idea what that was.

"What's it for?" she asked.

"It'll help fight off any infection."

"Oh," Sookie breathed.

"Do you have a first aid kit?"

"In the hall closet," she answered. With fairy speed Preston disappeared and reappeared in less than two breaths. Carefully, he covered the paste with one of the large gauze pads and taped it securely in place.

"How do you feel?" his eyes locked onto Sookie's gaze.

"Ok," she smiled. The adrenalin had subsided leaving her feeling a bit shaky and weak, but overall she was strangely calm. She wasn't sure if it was because she'd experienced a lot worse hanging out with vampires. Regardless, she was sure it had something to do with her having Preston with her. Even though she was shaken a bit, she felt more secure than ever; even with a crazy fairy knocked out on her lawn.

Preston kissed her gently on her forehead. "I got to you as soon as I could," he explained. "I know," whispered Sookie. "I knew you would come." Preston reached for the cup of tea that had been steeping while he darted around the kitchen and handed it to Sookie. "Drink this," he instructed her. With a raised brow she took the cup. It was one of Amelia's non-brand teas he'd pulled out. Under any other circumstances she would have never taken it, but Sookie was confident that Preston wouldn't be giving her anything that would make her grow or loose body parts.

"You'll need to drink this three times a day," he explained.

"I won't start growing hair in strange places?" Sookie drank the tea in several huge gulps. Herbal Witch teas were not her thing.

"It'll help you heal," Preston smiled. "Were there others besides the one?" Sookie followed Preston's gaze. Through the kitchen window, she saw her attacker. The fairy was still out cold.

"No," she shook her head.

"Your touch piece?" Preston asked glancing around the kitchen.

"My what?"

"Touch piece," he said still looking around. "I made it for you."

"Oh, my thingamabob," her eyes lit with understanding. "I lost it when I was trying to fight him off." She could see clearly from Preston's expression he wasn't too happy; not with the fact that she lost it, but _how _she had lost it. "I think it's in the shed."

"What did it tell you?"

"Tell me?" Sookie paused to concentrate on his meaning. "Danger," she remembered thinking that word several moments before the fairy appeared out of thin air.

"Did it tell you how many of them there were?"

"N…" she had to pause. When he had just asked before if there were more, she was confident in her answer. It was like she knew, but how? Was it her touch piece that had told her? "He was the only one."

"Good," breathed Preston. "I need you to help me." Sookie nodded. With his hands on her waist, he helped Sookie to her feet. Her breath fluttered inside her chest. Despite almost being killed, her body thankful to be alive was still responsive to having Preston, barely dressed, being so close.

"Later." Preston nuzzled the side of her neck where she was most sensitive. "I promise."

"O...k," Sookie was breathless.

"Why are you wearing only underwear?" he asked admiring all her skin fully knowing it wasn't underwear. Sookie giggled. Despite her struggle with the fairy, her suit was still intact.

"I was going to sunbath when that fairy showed up," she explained taking Preston's hand as he led her out of the house.

"And you didn't wake me up to watch?" he mockingly shook his head in disbelief.

"What are we going to do?" she asked nervously as they approached the unconscious and bleeding fairy.

"Iron," said Preston, his eyes darting to the iron burn on the fairy's head. "Can you show me?" Sookie's expression was searching for what he meant.

"You mean the horseshoe?"

"Is it iron?" asked Preston. Sookie took a second.

"Yeah," she answered nodding.

"Show me the horseshoe." Keeping herself as far away from the unconscious fairy on the ground, she went into the shed and came out with one horseshoe in each hand.

"I hit him with one of these," she held them up. Preston reached out for one. "No," Sookie pulled her hands behind her.

"It's ok," he assured her. "I have my gloves on." Sookie hesitated, knowing that when they were at his home, he didn't wear them. With everything that had happened, she couldn't remember if he had his gloves on or not. She generally could tell by the texture of the gloves whether he was wearing them or not.

"Sookie." His voice confident. "It's ok, really."

"Are you sure?"

"Look." Carefully, he lifted the edge of one of his gloves. Satisfied, Sookie nodded and handed him a horseshoe. Gingerly, Preston took it, studying it. After a few quick seconds he glanced up. "Do you have a hammer?"

"Yeah," Sookie stepped back into the shed. Moments later she stepped out with a sledge hammer. "Will this work?"

"Perfect," said Preston. "I'll need two more horseshoes," he told Sookie. As she entered the shed again, Preston made his way to the unconscious fairy. He recognized him as Murray, Breandan's lieutenant.

Bending over to retrieve a few more horseshoes, Sookie found her touch piece. With a smile, she picked it up with her free hand.

Kneeling next to Murray, Preston took the horseshoes, positioning the arch above Murray's wrists, and with the sledge hammer, he drove the ends of the horseshoe into the ground. It took only a few minutes to get the job done. Confident that the fairy wouldn't be going anywhere, Preston and Sookie went back inside.

She followed Preston into her bedroom. He made a beeline to her dresser where his cell phone was sitting, and took a seat in the chair she kept next to it. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she watched him as he began to speak in his foreign language. Sookie had no idea what he was saying, but it sounded exotic. That was when she noticed his torn knuckles. Standing, she went to her bathroom to retrieve a wet wash cloth.

Preston was speaking to Reece, Niall's assistant letting him know what had happened.

"And she is not injured?" asked Reece.

"He bit her, but she will heal."

"I'll let Niall know immediately," said Reece. "Does Murray live?"

"Yes," Preston replied, still continuing in their native language.

"Very good," Reece smiled. "Niall will want to question him. Keep the young Miss inside. I think she has seen enough for one day. I'll send a team to retrieve him."

"I want to be there for the interrogation," said Preston.

"Have you found Dermott?"

"Let me worry about that."

"Very well." With those last words, Reece ended the connection. Preston closed his phone and sat it down on the dresser next to where he was sitting. His eyes quickly found Sookie as she came toward him with a wet cloth. He was so in love with her that it practically hurt for him to breathe.

Kneeling in front of him, Sookie took his hand and gently dabbed at the cuts. It was pointless since his body was probably already starting to heal, but it made her feel better, so she kept at it.

"I'm ok," he breathed. Exhaustion weighed heavily on his shoulders. He had only precious hours left with Sookie before he would have to leave. The reality that tonight would possibly be the last time he would ever see her loomed at the edges of his consciousness.

As he watched her, so beautiful and so giving, his greatest fear threatened to break him. He had never fooled himself. He knew if he hadn't walked into Merlotte's that day, she would have never asked about him, much less seek him out. And knowing this terrified him.

Would Sookie, even after the time they had shared, come to him on her own accord?

.

* * *

.


	25. 4: So Much to Say

PART FOUR

* * *

**So Much to Say  
**

**

* * *

**

.

"Do you love me?" Preston asked expectantly. Sookie looked up, meeting his expressive eyes. There was a vulnerability there that touched her. Gently, she turned his hand over and kissed the palm of his hand before resting her cheek against it.

"I do." She gazed up at him. Preston fought back the emotions and the sensations that were beginning to constrict his windpipe. He hoped beyond all else that her love was enough to move her to find him after tonight.

"Someone," he cleared his throat, "Will be here shortly to remove Murray."

"Murray?"

"The fairy outside." Preston could hear Murray regain consciousness and yelp as he tried to get up only to have his wrists burned with iron.

"Is he Niall's enemy?" asked Sookie. Preston nodded his reply. Sookie stood up. She had several questions rush at her at once. "Did he…have something to do with Crystal?"

"No," answered Preston. "But he's loyal to Breandan, as are the fairies responsible for her death."

None of this made sense to Sookie. Why would they have gone after Crystal? Were they trying to send her a message? Frighten her? "Why? Why Crystal?" she asked Preston. Her expression was contorted in a cocktail of emotions: anger; fear; confusion.

"I don't know."

"Look Preston." She hauled in a sharp breath. "I know you don't want to…but we have to call Niall. He has to know. If they know where I live, they probably know where the twins live too."

"It's taken care of." Preston's voice was somber. Standing over him, Sookie stared wide eyed at him. It took her several seconds for the shock to recede back enough to articulate something remotely similar to a question. "Niall…knows?" Sookie whispered. Preston hesitated. He nodded.

Gradually, Sookie took a few steps back, little by little drifting toward the bed. The muscles in her neck tightened. Her throat was dry. Swallowing hard, with her eyes fixed on Preston, the back of her legs touched the foot of the bed. Automatically, she sat down on the edge of the mattress, stunned.

Oblivious to anything else around her, her cell phone began to ring unnoticed. The _Lion King's_ theme song chimed in the background. This was the ringtone Sookie had picked out for Merlotte's. She'd seen Sam shift into a lion once and thought it would be cute to use this particular ring tone for the bar.

In Sookie's bedroom, sitting across from each other, Preston at one end in the chair, Sookie at the other side on the edge of her bed, they're gazes locked on each other. Neither registered the muffled sounds of the cell phone in the kitchen.

"I have to leave tonight," stated Preston.

"_It's all a dream,"_Sookie tried to convince herself. Sorrow glossed Preston's expressive eyes. Seeing the painful truth in his beautiful eyes, Sookie's hands came up, touching her lips in a futile effort to brace herself. Her head swayed side-to-side. Instantly her thoughts swirled, spinning her toward depression. Every false belief she ever had, sunk their teeth into her soul. "_What's wrong with me?"_she silently cried. Everyone she'd ever loved had been taken from her. All her life she'd tried so hard to be good; to atone for what she was.

"No," Sookie mumbled. A crushing, suffocating, unkind hand griped her from within. She couldn't bear the thought of Preston being gone; taken away from her. "No." Anger seeped its way to the surface. "No." Preston stood up crossing the distance between them. "He can't hurt you." Tears began to well up in her eyes. It was all just too much; first Crystal, then Murray, and now this.

Kneeling in front of her, Preston's hands were on Sookie; touching her hands; touching her knees; touching her arms. "Nothing is going to happen to me," he assured her.

"What?" She felt dazed and confused. "Then why do you have to leave?" she pleaded for another truth; anything that wouldn't involve Preston being taken from her. Reaching out, she rested her palms on his chest; his warmth radiated into her hands.

The house phone on the bedside table rang. Its piercing sound intruded on them. Sookie groaned. She leaned her forehead against Preston's chest. No one ever called her. She was at a loss over how to deal with everything pressing against her. For several long seconds, she tried to ignore the call. When it paused she was flooded with relief. It was short lived. The caller was at it again.

Knowing how infrequent Sookie's home phone rang, Preston moved to answer it. "You should get that," he said. Preston reached for the receiver and handed it to Sookie.

_Why now?_ Why was someone looking for her now? "Hello." All traces of emotion were nonexistent in her tone.

"Sookie?" It was Tanya. "Are you ok?"

"Yah."

"I've been trying to get a hold of you," she explained, sounding frantic.

"What is it Tanya?" Sookie's voice was flat. "Is everything okay?"

"Are you sure you're alright Sookie? You don't sound like yourself."

"I'm fine," snapped Sookie. She didn't have time for this.

Sensing her frustration over the phone, Tanya continued, "I'm in a bind Sookie."

"_Great,"_ silently groaned Sookie.

"Holly's son's school just called her. I guess he's really sick. I hate to bother you, but I need help?" Sookie moaned, her misery clear to both Tanya and Preston. "You're my last call Sookie. I swear. I called everyone else on the list."

"_Why? Why!"_ thought Sookie. Biting back the curses bubbling up inside her mind, Sookie told her, "It's not your fault Tanya. I'm in the middle of something really important. I'll get there as soon as I can."

"Thanks Sookie." Tanya let out an audible sigh of relief. "I'm really sorry, really."

"I'll see you in a while."

"Alright." Tanya smiled knowing help would be on its way.

"What is it?" asked Preston, taking the phone Sookie handed him. He placed it back on the base.

"Holly had to leave," answered Sookie. "With us being down one waitress it doesn't leave many of us. I need to go in." Preston's expression tensed. This was his last night to be with her.

"Will you still need to close?" he asked.

"Yeah." Sookie looked up at him as he hovered over her.

A strained silence enveloped them.

Preston was clearly unhappy with this development. For that matter so was Sookie. But she couldn't say no; rather she didn't know how to say no. A sense of obligation governed her. Sam had left her responsible for the bar until he came back. After everything Sam had done for her over the years, she couldn't bear the thought of letting him down. So along with the agony of having to work, Sookie felt the crushing weight of the whole world on her. She couldn't understand why everyone and everything seemed bent on her not being with Preston. They weren't hurting anyone.

"What now?" she asked after a noticeable stretch of silence.

"I'm not to initiate contact with you after tonight," answered Preston.

"But I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to go."

Sookie suddenly felt fatigued. She reached for Preston's hand. Accepting her hand, he gently guided Sookie to the center of the bed. She leaned back, resting on her back. She gazed up at Preston, never taking her eyes off of him. As he rested on his side next to her, his hand absently drew circles over her soft belly.

"You know that I loved you yesterday," he said. A smile gently drew up the corners of Sookie's mouth. "I love you even now." Her smile brightened as she took in Preston's handsome features. "And I'll love you tomorrow." She sighed contentedly, enjoying the sound of his voice and the feelings that Preston's declaration created in her. "Promise," he said, "That you won't forget." Slowly, he lifted his hand away from her and hovered his palm mere inches from her bare skin.

"Promise what?" she breathed.

"That you won't forget that I love you." His eyes darted back to his hand, holding it just above her belly. Focusing. Steadily, he allowed his spark to reach out and touch Sookie's spark just so. His deliberate touch stimulated her, eliciting a soft moan from her.

"What are you doing?" she whispered. A warm sensation, like liquid being poured onto her, spread across her body.

"Can you feel me?"

"Yes," she rasped. The warm sensation was quickly replaced by something more passionate. Her lids half drawn closed, she watched Preston's expression. She trembled with little waves of building pleasure.

"It's our essential spark," explained Preston. Sounding breathless, he continued, "I'm touching your spark with mine."

"How…" Sookie's thoughts trailed off.

"Promise me," his voice was raw, "You won't forget I love you." Sookie's breathing and heart rate increased their pace under Preston's ministrations. "Promise," he repeated himself.

"I…promise," she breathed. The building tension over her entire body, made her want to touch herself. Rubbing her legs against each other, she was quickly loosing herself in the delicious sensation. Preston increased the tempo. "It feels…it feels…"

"How does it feel?" Preston's voice quivered.

Gasping, Sookie threw her head back. Desire rushed through her. She sighed erotically.

Preston felt himself catch on fire – he wanted to drive inside her. His body twitched to position himself over her. Quickly he reminded himself that this moment was just for her. He stayed next to her. This was not for him. Just for her. He wanted her to know exactly how much she was loved.

Sookie's breathing became more strained. Her moans sweeter and wilder. Through their spark, Preston sensed her approaching her zenith. He intensified his rhythm. His essential spark focused, stimulating that one holiest of places inside her. Friction increasing. Sweet torture building.

Preston swallowed a growl building at the back of his throat. _Just for Sookie._ _Only for Sookie._He trembled.

"Ohmigod!" Her screams crescendoed. Back arching. Fingers fisting the blankets. She writhed with one orgasmic spasm after another.

Watching her, something rudimentary rose up inside Preston. A powerful, magnificent knowledge that Sookie's spark knew; her soul knew at an elemental level that he loved her. Tenderly, Preston continued to reach out to her, caressing her spark.

After some time, Sookie whispered, "Don't leave me." Tears, which Preston had buried, bubbled forth. Leaning forward, he kissed her, touching her more intimately than was humanly possible. He could feel his love recuperated. For as long as he could, he relished in the sensation, memorizing every last detail that was all Sookie.

Over the next several minutes, Preston tenderly held her, comforting her. Sookie didn't understand why Niall wanted them apart. She had so many questions and so little answers. Preston had never withheld anything from her until now. Her questions he explained were ones that he was not free to answer.

Sookie quickly realized that it was time to have a C_ome to Jesus_talk with her great-grandfather. He had never interfered with her other relationships, so why now? What was so different this time? Though she didn't want to, she cried with indignation.

As Preston tried to console her, he could hear Niall and several other fairies arrive for Murray.

Outside of Sookie's house, Niall's keen senses, could hear Sookie's muffled cries. It broke his ancient heart. Though he could have interrupted Preston's time with Sookie, he restrained himself from checking on her. He felt terrible for ordering Preston not to have contact with her for now. His first instinct at hearing her pain was to give in and give Sookie her heart's desire. But he hesitated. Niall had to speak with her first. Explain things clearly to her. She needed to know of all the consequences her union with Preston would involve. This he owed to his son Fintan.

Fintan had regretted sentencing his children to the half-in and half-out existence, as was the way for changelings. Unlike his son, Niall never regretted his love for Einin or the two beautiful sons she blessed him with. Though he'd seen their struggle to completely fit in, he loved them both dearly. The joy his sons filled his life with, the happiness he'd seen them experience despite the challenges they faced, meant the world to Niall. He had fought to protect them and he would continue to do so. His cunning and ruthlessness had no end when it came to protecting his own.

But knowing his son's remorse for condemning two children, Niall knew his son would not wish this same sorrow on Sookie. As such, Niall felt compelled to make sure Sookie's decision would be an educated one.

As the fairies bound Murray for the travel to the secret location where he would be kept, Niall could hear Preston comforting Sookie with sweet words of his devotion to her. There was no doubt in Niall's heart that Preston loved his great-granddaughter. And though it would have been easy for Preston to tell Sookie the details of his conversation with Niall earlier that day in Faery, he didn't.

With his thoughts on Sookie, Niall and his small entourage disappeared, leaving no traces that they had been there.

"I really have to go," whispered Sookie. Sadness flattened the quality of her voice. Nodding, Preston helped her up. As Sookie readied herself, Preston distracted their mood with questions about the spell he had conjured up around Merlotte's.

He would miss seeing and hearing her padding around in the mornings. He would miss the way she absently hummed when she was lost in thought. He would miss the incredulous expressions she would get sometimes on her face when she thought he was teasing her. He would miss her laugh; her passion for the things she loved. There were so many things he would miss about her.

"I guess I'm ready," Sookie sighed, her eyes quickly scanning her reflection in the mirror.

She turned and stepped toward Preston. For what she felt would be the last time, she burrowed herself into Preston's embrace. He held her securely in his arms and teleported Sookie between the trees that were behind the bar. Standing in the woods, wrapped in each other's arms, they didn't move. They clung to each other.

Inhaling Preston's scent, Sookie drew herself away from him. She hated her job at that moment. She hated everything and everyone for wanting to deny her what she most wanted.

"There's still so much that has to be said," Sookie stood still in front of him. It was true. They needed to talk about everything that was still unsaid between them and yet it seemed _life_ was hell bent on denying her the time and peace to allow for more time.

"I know," he breathed.

"When will I see you again?" She willed herself not to break down. She had to be strong. She needed to keep herself together. She had to get through the next several hours.

"We have until tomorrow," Preston explained. "I'll be back when you're done."

"Ok." Sookie nodded. Reluctantly, she stepped away from Preston. As painful as it was to walk away from him, she did. One step at a time.

Once inside, Sookie quickly fell into the grove of work despite all the stares she was getting. Since her guards were up, she didn't know why everyone was gaping at her, and she didn't want to know.

What Sookie couldn't see, but others did, was the radiance she emitted from head to toe. Over the last few months, her close contact with Preston had been gradually making her essential spark more pronounced. And this afternoon, her private moment with Preston, when he touched her spark, inadvertently strengthened her fairy spark. In so doing, some of her fairy qualities had become more evident.

Yet despite her undeniable radiance, it was not enough to conceal the sadness Sookie worked at keeping at bay. The bounce she'd had over the last month or so was gone. Her smile was strained, not reaching her eyes. Several male patrons in the bar were transfixed on the achingly sad beauty that glided back and forth with trays full of plates and drinks.

"Sookie." Tanya pulled her aside. "Are you sure you're okay?" Though Sookie was working hard to keep up the pretense of a happy waitress, Tanya could see through it. She knew Sookie had been working herself to the bone since Sam was in Texas. So despite the differences her and Sookie had, Tanya was concerned for her. Though she wasn't scheduled to do so, she had made up her mind. "Look," she said. "I'll close tomorrow."

"No, I'm fine," Sookie sighed.

"Hell you are." Tanya smiled at Sookie. "Anyhow, business has never been so good. Even the customers have been really great."

"Yeah, they have," sheepishly smiled Sookie, remembering Preston's spell on Merlotte's.

"I mean it," said Tanya. She narrowed her gaze at Sookie. "Don't give me any lip about it. You're staying away tomorrow." Yesterday, Sookie would have celebrated over Tanya's offer. Not now. Sookie bit back the tears threatening to expose her and stuffed them down.

"Thanks Tanya." Sookie could see from Tanya's expression that she wasn't going to back down. Deciding to choose her battles, Sookie reluctantly agreed to let Tanya's friend from Norcross help out tomorrow.

Meanwhile, many miles and several states away, Preston decided that if he couldn't be with Sookie, he would make sure that she would be as safe as possible from Niall's enemies. So with a fiery conviction he'd never felt before, he focused every fiber of his being at his task.

Sweat glistened across his forehead. In front of him, slumped in a chair, Murray barely hung to life. Fairy interrogations were more like fairy torture sessions. Only remnants of what was once was Murray remained.

It was only by Niall's orders and Dillon's presence that the fairy still breathed, though slow and shallow. Preston would have to be satisfied that at least the fairy's life would be ending though not by his hands.

"If you've lied about Dermott's location," Preston's figure towered over the fairy, "I'll make sure you're healed. Then I'll make you beg me to end your life."

"Breandan," the fairy chocked and coughed on the blood flowing at the back of his throat. "He'll kill you."

Preston drove the blade of a knife into Murray's thigh, filleting a portion of his flesh.

"Agh," Murray groaned.

"If you plan on returning to Bon Temps," said Dillon, "You need to move swiftly to secure Dermott." Preston glanced over at the pristine Dillon. He wanted to see Sookie one last time and he also had to secure Dermott. Preston stepped away from Murray, relinquishing the surgical blade in his hand to Dillon. _"That was easy,"_ privately mused Dillon.

He held back his smile until Preston had left. Dillon was pleased with himself for figuring out how to motivate the young fairy. Even as a child, Dillon remembered how difficult it was too keep Preston focused. His attention was easily diverted. But his great niece, Sookie, had given the young fairy much needed focus and direction.

If Niall's enemies had their way, Preston's affection for Sookie would never be allowed. Though humans did not hold the same appeal for him as they did for his father and Preston and for that matter his own son Claude, Dillon was of the philosophy _to each his own._And he believed strongly in the right for each fairy to have the right to choose their destiny.

Though fairy numbers had diminished considerably over the centuries, Dillon knew that their great race would never become extinct. Elementals had always been and would always be. As such there would always be living creatures, be them fairy, dwarf, or even human. Elementals ensured a fresh dose of purity and magic into all races.

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	26. 4: Prodigal Son

PART FOUR

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**Prodigal Son**

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.

Not too far from Merlotte's, in the woods surrounding Jason's house, a wolf crouched in the dark. Its shoulders and head hung low to the ground in a stalking posture. Its attention was sharply fixed on Dermott, the half fairy, who was Niall's son.

For centuries, Dermott's gift of evasion had made him difficult for his father to find him. This gift coupled with the fact that fairies could sense their kin yards away in a crowd of other fairies made him elusive. Even if his kin tracked him down, none could get within several yards of Dermott without his notice. By the time they would reach the spot he was standing in, Dermott would be gone.

Tonight, however, it wasn't one of Dermott's kin who was tracking him. In his wolf form, Preston was invisible to Dermott. Undetected by the half fairy, Preston had watched him charge through the open door of the house. Cautiously, Preston crept out of the woods, while inside the house Dermott was letting Jason know that the werepanther he'd just attacked had been involved in his wife's death.

Stealthily, the tawny colored wolf inched silently through the open lawn and toward the black truck parked in front of the house. Preston needed to use surprise. From Reece's briefing, he knew Dermott was a formidable opponent. In hand-to-hand combat the half fairy was a master at manipulating the pace of a fight and leading his opponent into a position that would be to his own advantage. He tended to wear down his foe methodically, waiting for his opportunity to attack.

During his youth, Dermott had perfected his skills as a fighter; both with the sword and especially in hand-to-hand assault. Purebloods, who felt they had something to prove, would often corner the half fairy, beating him to a pulp. It didn't take Dermott very long to learn how to defend himself and how to pound his attackers to the ground. Once he had matured, one cross look from a pureblood was enough to incite the half fairy into a bloody brawl. At other times it was sheer defense against someone's offended mate bent on challenging Dermott that provided him the many hours of honing his fighting skills.

So heeding Reece's instructions, Preston was prepared to use surprise and magic to capture the half fairy. Excluding Niall and his late son Fintan, Dermott's other kin did not possess strong magic. At least not to the great extent that Preston did. Niall knew this about Preston. Not only would Preston's gift for transforming make him undetectable by his son, but Preston's strong magic would make it possible to capture Dermott without his son being physically harmed.

For several long minutes, Preston waited crouched beneath the truck next to the big rear tire. Eventually, he could hear Dermott step off the front porch of the house. Several steps later, the half fairy came into Preston's view. The wolf waited. Dermott confidently made his way toward the woods. "_Wait…wait," _Preston silently told himself. With Dermott's back toward him, Preston slyly appeared from beneath the truck. Moving slowly toward his target, the pads of his feet barely made contact with the ground beneath. _"Wait."_ Counting off to himself, Preston synced his breathing to his count down. Just feet from his target, with in the trees concealing them, Preston transformed back into a man. At the exact moment that Dermott registered another fairy it was too late.

Dermott swung around to charge at his would be attacker. Swiftly, Preston cast out a net of magic to ensnare Dermott. With his body incapacitated, Dermott's forward momentum propelled him into Preston. Both fairies tumbled to the ground. Free from any restraints, Preston quickly stood taking a defensive posture over Dermott. He watched with amazement as the half fairy doggedly resisted his magic.

"You're going to injure yourself," Preston cautioned him.

"It will be nothing compared to what I'll do to you," grunted and huffed Dermott.

"I'm sure of it." Preston didn't doubt Dermott could inflict some serious damage on him. He was as tall and broad as Preston. "Niall was very clear that you weren't to get a scratch," said Preston.

"Why?" snarled Dermott. The mention of Niall's name filled him with determination to break free from Preston's spell. "So my dear father wants to be the one to look me in the eyes as he kills me."

"I doubt that." Preston shook his head in disbelief. He knew that if he tried to pick Dermott up, he was sure one of them would get hurt.

Before Dermott could snap back, Preston drew up energy from the earth beneath his feet. He conjured a sleeping spell over the half fairy. A few seconds later, Dermott was out like a light.

Heaving Dermott over his shoulder, Preston made his way through the woods. Barefoot and naked, he carried the unconscious fairy toward the nearest portal to Faery. In no time, back in Faery, Preston plopped the unconscious half fairy onto the chaise in the middle of Niall's private retreat.

"What have you done to him?" Reece did not disguise his alarm.

"He's fine," answered Preston. "I didn't hurt him. He should wake up in a while." Reece shot the young fairy a disapproving glance. "He wouldn't stop struggling," he quickly added.

"Move." Reece motioned for Preston to step back. Appeasing the mature fairy, Preston moved giving him access to the half fairy. Reece carefully inspected Dermott. Niall would not be pleased if his son had been harmed.

An elemental suddenly appeared out of thin air. "The Prince's son is intact." Her sudden appearance unsettled Preston a bit. She had materialized next to Dermott. She hovered protectively over the unconscious changeling. "I can revive him if you wish," she told Reece.

"Wait for the Prince," he replied looking around the room. "Where is he?" he asked the elemental.

"He is in the corridor with Dillon," she answered, her eyes never moving from Dermott's form. The elemental was a female and not immune to the effects of Dermott's physical attributes. She stared at him with a compulsive fascination. "Niall will be here shortly." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I need to—"

"Is he unharmed?" Niall's voice interrupted Preston.

"The spell used is excessive," criticized Reece, "He may have magic burns."

"He'll be fine," retorted Preston. "He was stubborn. If I hadn't made him sleep he would have given himself magic burns." Niall tapped Reece's shoulder. His assistant moved, allowing the Prince access to his son. Carefully, Niall sat on the edge, his hand touching his son for the first time in many years. The Prince gently sighed.

"He is unharmed," the elemental assured him. She kept her eyes on Dermott, recognizing his uniqueness. Her expression was near euphoria. Changelings were uncommon creatures. This made Dermott one of a kind in the eyes of the elemental. Something that held value, if only for his rarity. "May I have him?" she wistfully asked the Prince.

"No." Niall's voice was clear and kind.

Imperceptibly, Preston shook his head at the strange scene before him. "I would like to return to Bon Temps," commented Preston.

"Thank you." Niall turned and glanced up at the young fairy. His gratitude was evident in his tone. "You have until morning," he told Preston.

Preston nodded. With his dept paid, he turned and eagerly headed down the corridors. Each step he took, took him closer to Bon Temps. Closer to Sookie.

"I can revive him," stated the elemental. Niall didn't answer her. He allowed himself a few moments to enjoy how peaceful and beautiful his son looked. Dermott was always willful and rebellious. There had been many choices that his son had made over the centuries that Niall condemned. He often wondered if Dermott had done what he had simply because he had forbidden it.

Once, during the summer solstice celebration, Niall had observed how the young elf named Mauve, had attracted his son's attention. She was the elf Prince's pledged bride. Had the alliance the fairy Princes had been negotiating for years with the elves not been at stake, Niall would have looked the other way. Since this was not the case, Niall had spoken to his son.

Angered by his father's presumptuousness that he wouldn't have kept his hands to himself, Dermott seduced the lovely she-elf. What made matters worse, was that Dermott chose to seduce her in her husband's waiting chamber just when the elfin council had been dismissed.

After this incident, it would be another few centuries before a treaty was reached. And even then, it was a rocky alliance. Dermott's very public offense could not be swept under the carpet. To appease the other fairy Princes and Barrack, the elfin Prince, Niall had to bind Dermott's magic. Though this ensured a truce with the elves, the personal cost to Niall was great. This single act estranged father and son for centuries.

Niall exhaled audibly. Lovingly, he touched the side of his son's handsome face. Despite all the sadness and harsh words shared between them, he still loved his son.

"I'm ready," Niall told the elemental. In an instant, she revived Niall's son.

Without a word, Dermott gradually began to wake up. His eyes opened. It took him several moments for his mind to register where he was. Dermott was initially shocked; surprised that he was still alive. Almost immediately, a mixture of happiness and rage, like oil and water, filled his heart when his eyes met his father's. His first inclination was sheer joy at feeling the warmth of his father after so many centuries apart. His second inclination was to lash out at his father for the grievances Dermott felt he had suffered at his hands.

"What now?" asked Dermott, his tone dry. "Are you going to kill me?"

"Kill you?" Niall huffed. This was not the reaction he was expecting. "You are blood of my blood. How could I cut off a piece of myself?"

"And Fintan?" Dermott made no attempt at concealing his anger. He had believed incorrectly for several years that his father had killed Fintan for defying him; for siding with Breandan.

At hearing Fintan's name Niall's powerful shoulders gave slightly under the weight of his sorrow and regret at losing Fintan. He wished he would have bound Fintan; though it may have estranged them as it had with Dermott, but at least Fintan would have been alive.

"It was Breandan," replied Niall.

"You lie to make yourself good!"

Niall held his son's gaze. "Fintan appeared to me." At hearing his father's words, a sharp sorrowful pain cruelly teased the center of Dermott's chest. Fintan had been his twin, his other half, his beloved brother.

It was the way of the fae for their spirit to visit their elder. Had Dermott been born first, instead of second, Fintan would have appeared to him instead of to their father. As Fintan's next eldest, it was Niall who Fintan's spirit came to visit. That was how Niall knew his son had died. Fintan's spirit came to him. Though Fintan refused to tell Niall by whose hand he had been killed, Niall had learned enough from Fintan that he was in no doubt who had been responsible for his son's death.

"After what you've done to me," bitterly said Dermott, "Why should I believe you?"

"Because you know I speak the truth." The information Preston had retrieved from Murray had solidified Niall's decision. He leaned over and kissed his son. That single, yet complicated, touch of love, undid the binds he had placed centuries ago around his son's magic. Niall only hoped that the last few centuries had taught his self-centered son a lesson.

"Why?" breathed Dermott. This had not been what he had expected. He truly had believed his father was going to torture him and kill him. Confused by his murderous father's mercy and overwhelmed with relief from his father's bindings that had been like cold hard shackles, he was overpowered by emotion. His tears turned to uncontrolled sobs as the guilt of what he had done over the recent years harshly crashed upon him.

Niall's impulse was to hold his son, but he held back allowing Dermott time to find some measure of balance. The Prince's expression contorted with agony as he witnessed his son's pain. Gradually, Dermott's trembling eased. Finally, Niall reached out and touched his son. His spark instantly filled his son with warmth and comfort. Strength. Love. Healing.

"It's tonight," Dermott's voice quivered.

"Tonight?"

Dermott nodded his head. "Breandan gave the order to kill Enda." His words were a blow to Niall. Had he been standing he would have staggered and fallen. The intel they had received from Murray indicated Breandan was going to assassinate Dermott. There had been no mention of Enda his wife being the target.

Niall's gaze shot toward the elemental.

Before the words even formed in his mind, she dematerialized. In a blink of an eye, the elemental appeared next to Enda, Niall's wife. She had barricaded herself in her bedchamber. The makeshift blockade the Princess had created tumbled over itself under the force coming from the other end.

With her iron tipped sword in her hand, the Princess stood ready. Clothed only in her billowy sleeping gown, she looked like beauty awakened after centuries of sleep. She was beautifully fragile.

The elemental's dark eyes turned sinister. Her unnaturally dark hair rose around her thin form like electrically charged particles. Both angel and demon. With shadowy features hollowed out of her marble pale translucent complexion, she stood dangerously and protectively in front of the Princess.

As the first of Breandan's assassins entered, the elemental blasted him, showering the room in a rain of sparkling dust. The air filled with the scent of caramelized sugar. A second assassin, broad and tall, plowed forward while a third and fourth charged at Enda. She was prepared. Enda's feminine arms held her blade firm.

Grunting, Enda blocked the third assassin's large sword inches from her face. She pushed forward. Spinning. The force of her momentum came crashing down at the fourth assassin, at an attempt at a fatal strike. Whirling to position herself for another strike, the assassin moved. Swiftly, he gained the advantage. His blade sliced at her gown, just missing the tender soft flesh beneath the thin fabric.

The air was filled once again with the scent of another layer of caramel.

Enda glanced up through her dark lashes meeting the eyes of her attackers. Her bare feet, carefully moved her back as they inched forward. Their eyes filled with purpose. _She would die tonight _was written all over their expressions.

On the other side of the room, the elemental pulverized the third assassin showering the room in yet another layer of silver dust. The fourth assassin charged at the Princess. Blinded by the cloud of silver, Enda couldn't see. At once her body was crushed under the weight of her last assailant. His fingers wrapped around her delicate neck.

She struggled for air. Her hands desperately clawed at the fairy's fingers.

The air was abruptly filled with the crackling whip of electricity.

In a blink, a hand appeared at the center of Enda's assailant's chest. The elemental lifted him as if he was made of nothing more than a piece of writing parchment. Enda's eyes watched with terror as the angel and demon held the fairy above her tall frame. The elemental's features were a charade of what a real face ought to look like. In a heartbeat, the elemental tore the fairy in half. Showered in the blood of her kill, the elemental suddenly arced. A flash of light filled the room.

Enda shielded her eyes. The smell of caramel thickened the air in her bedchamber.

"Come Princess." The elemental, once again the beautiful apparition Enda was accustomed to, leaned forward and scooped her up. With the precision a thousand times more accurate than any human radar system, the elemental located the Prince.

.

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	27. 4: Fairies, Vampire, & Telepath

PART FOUR

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**A Fairy, a Vampire, and a Telepath**

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.

"Godalmighty." Danielle, one of Merlotte's waitresses, whistled as she counted up her tips for the night. "This is crazy."

"How good did you make out?" Sookie asked. Her hands worked quickly, wiping clean the bar as she shuffled empty bottles to one side for disposal.

"Never this good that's for sure," Danielle giggled. "So far I've counted a hundred and fifty."

"That is good." Sookie was impressed, but not surprised. Preston had told her that every customer that walked through the doors would be happy and generous. And obviously thirsty too; she'd have to make sure to place an extra liquor order. Just then Danielle glanced up quickly at Sookie.

"Whoa," Danielle breathed. Her fingers stopped their counting movements. Gaping at Sookie, she blinked twice to make sure she'd actually seen what she had. Sookie's hands had been moving so fast over the counter. If she didn't know better she would have thought…_No, not possible,_ Danielle quickly amended her thoughts.

"What?" Sookie froze. Her muscles tensed. She felt self conscious.

"I don't know…" Danielle was suddenly not so self-assured. She shook her head, telling herself she must have imagined it.

Cautiously, Sookie let her guard down allowing her telepathy to sift through Danielle's thoughts. Sookie swallowed hard. Like most folks in Bon Temps, Danielle always thought Sookie was a bit odd. She was familiar with the rumors traveling around Bon Temps about Sookie not being human. If Danielle didn't know how outrageously impossible such a thing could be, she would swear that Sookie had to be part vampire or something else, something fast. Sookie's hand went limp, dropping the dish towel. It landed silently next to her feet.

"Since you're closing tomorrow," Sookie drew Danielle out of her thoughts. "Why don't you call it a night? I can finish up here."

"Really?" Danielle beamed. Leaving early, meant more time with her man before he went to bed.

"I'm heading out now," D'Erique called out. His sudden appearance was a welcomed interruption. Standing several feet from them, his leather jacket on he said, "You gals have a great night."

"Thanks D'Erique. You too." Sookie waved at him.

"Night." Danielle quickly followed after Sookie.

"Why don't you get going as well," Sookie told Danielle.

"Thanks Sookie." Danielle hurried around the bar before Sookie would change her mind. "Oh, don't forget. Tanya said for me to make sure to tell you to stay away from this place tomorrow."

"Sure thing," Sookie agreed halfheartedly. Danielle's right brow arched, but she didn't say anything. Her stomach was filled with little flutters at the prospect of seeing her man. Moments later, Danielle came back out of the office and appeared in the main bar where Sookie was putting the chairs up on the tables.

"Are you sure Sookie? I can help you."

"Nonsense, you drive safely now."

"Suit yourself." Danielle waved her goodbye and walked out the door.

Finally alone except for the jukebox playing in the background, Sookie relaxed her mind. With no one else left in the bar except for her, it was utterly and blissfully quiet inside her mind. The only thoughts clanging away were her own.

She lifted the last chair and placed it on the table. She glanced down at her watch. In a few minutes Preston would be there for her. Her stomach did a flip with anticipation. The next instant, the feeling was bittersweet. Sadness. Despite vibrating with the expectation at seeing him, the weight of the events earlier that day pressed harshly against her chest. She still wasn't sure _how_ she would find the strength to see him walk away from her.

She struggled against the dismay that lurked around her consciousness. Behind the bar, she pulled up and removed the trash bag from the trash can. Just then she felt that odd dull prickling sensation again. The strange sensation was most concentrated on her butt cheek, where her touch piece was safely tucked away in her back pocket. Instantaneously her mind and body connected the weird feeling to danger. The trash bag in her hands dropped to the floor. The sound of broken glass echoed over the sound of the jukebox.

_Danger, _her touch piece echoed at the fringes of her consciousness. _Danger. _Every possible frightening scenario raced at high speed across her mind. For a split second she hesitated. _Lemon_, she thought. In a flash, despite her mind telling her no, she rushed toward the kitchen. A few feet from the door, she ran into an invisible wall of warmth and happiness. The sensation was familiar. Confusion flooded her mind.

_Danger, _cried out her touch piece. At the same time, _warmth—happiness—lust_ snowballed her.

Eric was coming. As her mind registered this awareness she was startled by a familiar accented voice. "Lover?"

Sookie yelped as she jumped a few inches off the ground. "Geesh!" she screamed. Eric was amused by her reaction. She glared at him; all six feet. It had been over two months since she last saw him, and he looked exactly the same: perfect.

_Danger,_ her touch piece resonated at the back of her consciousness. At the same time, a surge of lust assaulted her through the bond she shared with Eric. Her libido spiked. It frustrated her and confused her all at once. As much as she liked Eric when she wasn't afraid of him, she regretted and loathed the bond she shared with him. It complicated their strange relationship.

_Danger. _

She told her touch piece to calm down as if it could understand her, assuring it that everything would be okay. Eric was there. Any fairy that got close enough would undoubtedly change their minds once they picked up Eric's scent.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people," she scolded the ancient vampire.

"It seemed prudent to sneak up on you since you seem to be hiding from me," he said taking a step closer to her. His senses were at once flooded by Sookie's scent. She smelled more like a fairy than usual. "Mmm," he inhaled deeply. His body quivered with ecstasy. "When you smell delicious," he purred. "I want to fuck you." Sookie's heartbeat jumped. Eric stepped even closer and inhaled deeply again. His face rippled with bliss.

Sookie felt her legs buckle from the intensity of the lust that violently shook her to her core. She felt ashamed at how her body was responding. Eric leaned forward, yanked her against his chest, and set his mouth over hers.

She wasn't prepared. A vortex of erotic sensations swirled around her making her feel dizzy.

With a thousand years of experience, Eric knew exactly how to make a woman forget her name. It was too easy; as easy as taking candy from a baby. Confidently, he coaxed her tongue, sucking the delicious pleasure her sweet saliva and the heat of her mouth created. His hands at her waist and back encouraged Sookie's body to yield.

_Danger,_ her touch piece pricked her. The strange sensation was enough to pull her back to herself. As easy as it was to allow herself to get lost in the moment, she had a boyfriend. And even if she hadn't, she felt Eric didn't have the right to kiss her. Fury began to boil in her blood.

Eric groaned with irritation. He could feel her resisting him.

"Stop it!" she screamed into his kiss.

"Yield to me Sookie." His voice was sultry and sexed up. He did enjoy Sookie; he loved kissing her and he especially remembered loving to fuck her. "Your body tells me you want to."

"Stop." Sookie struggled to free herself from his embrace. As much as she realized how easy it would be to have uninvolved sex with Eric, she knew she would regret it for the rest of her life. Even if Preston would never find out, she would always know. How could she live with herself? Beyond that, she refused to make a mockery of her feelings for Preston. She cherished what she had with him too much to let this happen.

"Fine." Eric drew back, but he didn't release her. He felt his bond with her disappear. Exactly how she did this, he wasn't sure. Somehow Eric speculated that it was tied in with either the traces of fairy blood that Sookie had or her telepathy. He wasn't sure. However, he was certain that she wasn't aware that she was doing it, closing off the bond, and he would never mention it to her. "I know you want me," he faked amusement, hiding his uncertainty in their bond. "Why do you fight me lover?"

"I'm not your lover," Sookie snapped. Her body trembled this time, not from pleasure, but from pure annoyance. "And I haven't been avoiding you. On the contrary, you're the one that dropped off the face of the earth."

Three months ago, Eric regained his memories of their time together. Sookie had hoped that he would have called, maybe asked her out on a date. She would have said yes. But he didn't. The train stopped, but Eric never boarded. He was a 'no show' and a 'no call'. It truly was like he had dropped off the face of the earth.

"Dropped off the earth?" His tone was teasing and perhaps a bit sarcastic.

"You know what I mean," she insisted. "For two months you showed no interest, but now suddenly you're bombarding my voicemail and showing up at my house—uninvited. Why suddenly _all_ the interest?"

"I've been busy with the aftermath of the takeover," he pointed out matter-of-fact. "Had I known you were contemplating jumping into another's bed, well…" A small smile spread across Eric's face. The bond was open again and he could feel her irritation; among other feelings. It amused him, because he knew he spoke the truth. If he had known competition had showed up, he would have been more attentive at ensuring his claim over her.

_Danger. _

Sookie was distracted from her touch piece's warning by her anger over Eric's accusation. "How dare you," Sookie heatedly retorted. "I didn't jum…" she bit her tongue. She decided to react differently. It was so easy when Eric was around for her to lose herself to her emotions.

Little by little, she calmed herself. Eric watched her curiously as she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. His brow wrinkled at how odd she was acting. Through the bond he sensed a wave of calm. Sookie opened her eyes. "What vampire business demands my attention?" she asked calmly.

"None," Eric lied. Sookie raised her brow, giving him a_ 'when pigs fly' _expression. Eric continued, "We need to talk. There was a lot that was said during our time together."

"That was a year ago," she pointed out flatly.

"For me it's been only a few months," he reminded her. "Do you love me?" His arms were still holding her.

"What?" His question was unexpected. Sookie felt herself taken completely off guard.

"Do you love me?" he asked again. Sookie shook her head with disbelief.

"Interesting question," Preston interrupted. His blood boiled with rage. This was too much. How could he say good-bye, leaving this…this vampire pursing Sookie?

Sookie's eyes darted toward Preston, and for the first time since Eric stopped kissing her, she realized he was still holding her. Quickly she stumbled out of Eric's embrace. To her relief, he released her without a word, but not fast enough for her liking. Ungracefully, her feet drew her next to Preston.

"Great," Sookie quietly mumbled to herself. The hard line that Preston's jaw was set in was not good.

"Why is the vampire asking if you love him?" Preston asked, struggling to control his displeasure. He stared unblinking at the vampire. He knew _this_ was Eric, one of Sookie's old lovers.

Looking up at Preston, Sookie hated being called out on the carpet; especially when _she _hadn't done anything. "He's nobody," she answered. Preston glanced down at her. His eyes softened. He found her expression priceless. He'd only seen it once before since meeting her. It was the night Niall appeared in her living room.

"I've had this woman," Eric pointed out; his voice as hard as marble. "She is my woman." Sookie rolled her eyes.

"If she were your woman, why does she share my bed?" Preston asked. Eric growled. Preston was making no effort to disguise his true nature from Eric.

"Did Niall drive _this_," Eric forcefully stabbed at the air, "Into your bed?"

"No," Sookie blurted out. _"Technically, not,"_ she finished silently.

Eric's fury radiated from his pores. He should have known not to trust that damn fairy. The moment Niall summoned him and requested an audience with Sookie, he should have tried to kill him. "It was only a matter of time before he tried to take you from me," Eric fumed.

"Don't be so paranoid," Sookie said. "I never belonged to you." They had only shared a week together, and despite how passionate and wonderful their time had been together, he didn't belong to her anymore than she belonged to him. "Anyhow," she breathed, "Niall had nothing to do with us."

"I highly doubt that," Eric snapped. His anger mingled with everything else he was feeling and thinking. He hadn't bargained on her supposed lover being a fairy. Venom pooled inside his mouth. Vampires were no match for the fae. If he didn't play his cards right, he knew that in a heartbeat, Niall would exterminate him and his retinue. Eric was certain that the large payment the Prince would send to DeCastro would be more than enough to satisfy the loss of revenue from the Sheriff of Area Five threefold.

His vampire thoughts cranked swiftly inside his head; plotting. "Felipe has requested your services." His tone was harsh, and the words were technically untrue. Granted, Felipe was interested in using Sookie's talents in Las Vegas, but at the moment Felipe was more interested in confirming Eric's claim of husbandry over her.

"My services aren't available," Sookie replied. "I explained all this in my message." After Preston had disappeared following the scent of Crystal's murderer, she'd called him like she had promised Amelia.

"Do you really think you can dismiss us off-handedly?" Eric snarled. The way he saw it, she had attached herself to _them_ the moment she accepted her first payment. She belonged to him.

Preston immediately took a defensive step forward. "Careful vampire," Preston cautioned him. He'd just tortured a fairy to near death for information; he had no qualms about ending a vampire.

"Preston." Sookie touched his arm. "Please." Her voice was gentle and soft. This wasn't what she wanted. She couldn't stand the idea of them fighting because of her. It didn't matter how off base Eric could be sometimes or how angry he made her, she didn't want him hurt.

Eric watched the silent exchange between Sookie and the young fairy. His cold blood boiled. How was it possible that his plans could be flustered by one fairy? What he had always feared was unfolding before his eyes. She was slipping between his fingers.

Sookie glanced over at Eric. For a split second, she recognized something in his expression. It was the same fleeting look she saw for an instant the night he left her at the restaurant with Niall. He looked almost sad. "Eric." Sookie's voice pulled at his dead heart. "It's late, and I'm tired. Right now is not a good time for this conversation."

"This settles nothing," he pointed out. "We have to talk without the fairy present."

Sookie nodded her head in agreement. "Ok," she softly said. She realized that she had had a year to reconcile her feelings over what had happened between them. But for Eric, it was as if it had just happened, and she felt she owed it to him to do what she could to help him find peace with it.

"Did you get my package from Bobby?" he asked. Deception crept into his heart. There was no way he was going quietly into the night, dismissed like a dog.

"Yeah." Sookie nodded. She hadn't seen the package since she left it in Sam's office. Right away, she hoped she hadn't misplaced it. "I'll get it," she volunteered. Eric smiled, and the flicker in his eyes, concerned Preston. Sookie stepped in front of Preston, slipped into the hallway, and made a beeline to Sam's office. Once there, Sookie walked over to the desk. Leaning over, she pulled open one of the desk drawers.

_Danger,_ her touch piece echoed_. _

Sookie's hand hesitated a mere inches from touching the velvet box. Swallowing hard, she pushed through her uneasiness and pulled the box out of the drawer. She removed the top and tossed it back into the drawer. She confirmed that the knife was still there. Carefully, Sookie pulled the knife out, holding it by the handle. She wasn't sure what it was supposed to mean, but her gut rang an alarm bell. Had she been high on the _warmth-happiness-lust _sensations Eric filled her with, she would have ignored the nagging feeling tugging at her.

With the knife in hand, she made her way back into the main area of the bar. Preston and Eric were in the middle of a staring contest. Sookie nodded her head and stepped toward Eric. "Here you go." Sookie handed him the ceremonial knife, holding it flat on her palm.

Eric smiled triumphantly. Reverentially, he reached for it.

In a blink Preston rushed forward.

One moment Sookie felt a feather like touch brush against her hand. The next moment the knife ricocheted off the wall and clanged as it bounced once against the cement floor. She didn't have a chance to recover. A vampire and a fairy streaked across her line of sight. Air swept across her cheek. By the time her eyes focused on one spot, it was yanked to the opposite direction.

Eric attacked Preston, slamming him against the cement floor. Sookie's instinct was to stop them, but her mind quickly registered that it would be a bad idea. "Please stop!" she screamed, her voice trembling with fright. In vein her brain struggled to keep up with Eric and Preston's movements. All she could make out were flashes and occasional still lives.

One of the tables suddenly crumbled beneath Eric's body as Preston slammed him down against it. The next instant pieces of drywall came crumbling down from the ceiling.

Sookie's legs crumbled from under her. She dropped to her knees. "Stop it!" she cried.

"Enough." A steady and imperial voice resonated.

Sookie glanced up. Through her tears, she saw her great-grandfather standing next to her. Relief washed over her. "Niall." Her voice quivered. She knew that he would stop them from hurting each other.

Niall leaned down and helped Sookie to her feet. He gently took her into his arms. "You're safe now," he lovingly assured her.

"Your great-granddaughter is my woman and mine alone." Eric's tone was defiant. Niall glared at him. Sookie felt a chill rolling off Niall's expression, and she felt very afraid for Eric.

"What happened?" Niall asked Sookie.

"I was giving Eric back his knife." Her voice was soft and hesitant. "Then I think Preston knocked it out of my hand and before I realized what was happening, Eric attacked him. They started fighting." Niall turned to look at Preston and then at Eric. This time Sookie followed his gaze. To her astonishment, Eric stood frozen, his arms at his sides. She knew his stance was involuntary when she noticed Eric's feet an inch or two off the floor. Her eyes darted over toward Preston. He stood, seemingly unaffected by whatever Niall was doing to Eric.

Preston gave Sookie a reassuring glance, letting her know with his warm expressive eyes that everything would be okay.

"Child," Niall spoke drawing Sookie's attention back to him. She turned to face him, her eyes breaking contact with Preston at the last moment. "Where is this knife?" he asked.

"I think," Sookie whispered. Niall followed her eyes to the floor where it laid. He turned and reached for it, carefully picking it up. Standing next to Sookie again, she heard him huff as he examined it.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked her.

"Just that Eric used it in Rhodes when he married the Kings of Mississippi and Indiana."

"Eric instructed you to give this to him?"

"Yes sir," Sookie answered. "He told Bobby, his day man, to tell me that I was supposed to present it to him in front of Felipe de Castro's lieutenant. But he wouldn't tell me why."

Niall stood still, his features lit by the bar lights. He looked beautiful, remote, and dangerous. "You dared to deceive my great-granddaughter," Niall commented not looking for a response. "I should kill you, vampire."

"She belongs to me," Eric said. "She's my bonded."

"I question the validity of the blood bond you share with her."

"If you didn't share his blood," Eric spoke to Sookie. His calm veneer was beginning to fray. "He would have never lowered himself to care for you. You would have never known him."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Sookie gaped at Eric.

"Do you want to be pledged to this vampire?" Niall asked Sookie. At his words, Preston felt a sharp stab at the center of his heart. Nausea, fear, anger, pain swirled curling inside his stomach.

Sookie looked up at Niall. She didn't know what being pledged to Eric meant. By her expression Niall noted as much. He asked, "Do you want to be bonded in a marriage contract with this vampire for a hundred years?"

"No!" Sookie spat out in a quick rush of air. She cared about Eric, was even attracted to him, and most of the time she considered him a friend, but she certainly did not want to be married to him.

Preston exhaled. Absolute relief washed through him, and in its wake he felt lightheaded and weak. His hand moved across his face. The movement caught Sookie's attention. Preston had always been a good broadcaster of his emotions and tonight was no different. She was worried until she felt his hope. Glancing up from his hands, Preston's gaze met hers. As if their eyes knew this would be the last time they would see each other, they stared unblinking, studying every detail of each other.

"Vampire," Niall spoke to Eric. "You may share a blood bond with my great-grandchild, but she desires no further attachment with you."

Eric's expression was as solid and unmovable as a marble statue, which he resembled. "It's for her protection," Eric stated. "Other vampires desire her and will stop at nothing to bond with her. I can assure you, they will not be as kind to her as I."

"Nor will I be as merciful to _them_ as I am with you."

Sookie shivered at the threat in Niall's voice. As much as she loved her great-grandfather, and as certain as she was that he loved her and would never harm her, she was terrified out of her socks for anyone Niall chose not to like. There was no doubt in her mind that Niall could be as brutal as he was beautiful.

Niall turned his attention to Sookie. His malachite green eyes softened with warmth and tender affection. From his observation, Sookie's spark had grown in intensity since he last saw her. It made her breathtaking. It made her less human and just that much more fairy. Within time, her close association with Preston would make it nearly impossible for Sookie to live too long among the same humans.

"Dear one." Niall gently drew Sookie's attention from Preston. "I came so you would take my warning serious." Sookie's heart rate spiked. "Things are not turning out as I had hoped." Niall had wished that the others would see how much humans had to offer. He wanted to make it so that one day if Sookie desired it, she could live in Faery. "Please be careful," he pleaded with her. Lochlan and Neave were aware of Sookie's location. He hoped the measures that Preston had taken, would be enough to protect her. "Claudine will join you as soon as she can."

"What's happening?" Sookie was really trying not to panic.

"There is war in Faery," Niall answered. "They attacked Enda." Sookie gasped.

"Breandan, he tried to kill a fairy woman? Isn't that really bad? There aren't many fairy women right?"

"That was his goal." Niall sounded somber. "Enda is safe now."

For the first time, Sookie noticed her great-grandfather's cloths. They were stained and torn. "Were you fighting?" she asked. Her expression lined with concern.

"Yes," Niall said. "His attack on Enda was an act of war."

"The twins?"

"They are joining the fighting."

His words filled Sookie with dread. She rubbed her hand across her forehead. "What about Preston?" she quickly asked.

"He is needed in Faery." With his hand on Sookie's arm, Niall allowed his spark to sooth away her worries. "There is much I need to share with you, but now is not the time. Please be careful." Niall leaned forward and kissed her. He stepped away from her, taking several steps toward Eric. He gave Eric an appraising look. The next moment, he released him. Eric's feet touched the floor. "Vampire." Niall narrowed his eyes.

"My knife," Eric coldly stated.

Keeping his gaze locked on Eric's, Niall handed him his knife—blade side first. "Tread carefully," Niall warned.

Preston and Eric exchanged stark glances as Eric walked past him and toward the front entrance of Merlotte's. The small bell on the door chimed when it opened and closed.

"I have to go." Niall glanced at Sookie. "There is strong magic protecting you."

"It was Preston." Her eyes darted over to the young fairy. "Amelia and Octavia too."

"I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"I am. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Niall glanced at Preston, meeting his gaze. Preston nodded his understanding. The next moment, Niall disappeared.

"Preston?"

He rushed toward Sookie gently wrapping his arms around her.

"I'll take you home."

"No," she breathed. "I have to finish." She wearily glanced around the bar. Before her next inhalation, Preston was a streak, leaving only clean and tidy in his wake. In several seconds, he had discarded the broken table and chairs, swept up the wood chips and drywall chunks, unplugged the jukebox, locked the front door, closed the blinds, and tossed the trash.

"Better?" he asked. His forehead glistened with perspiration.

"Yeah." Sookie gaped. She knew fairies were faster than vampires, but knowing this and actually witnessing their speed were two completely different things.

After retrieving her purse from Sam's office, securely wrapped in Preston's arms, she was instantly wrapped in a blanket of light and warmth. Several seconds later, they stood in her backyard.

At once, Preston's fairy senses picked up Mór, his friend and dwarf, inside the house laughing with Amelia. "I have to go," Preston breathed. His words were like a sharp bite at the center of Sookie's chest.

"Please don't go." She visibly quivered. Her arms and hands clung desperately to him.

Preston felt every inch of his body torn in opposite directions. She was asking something that despite how much he wanted to give her, he couldn't. He had to go. "I love you…always." He wrenched himself from her and took several steps back.

"No!" Sookie charged at him, his chest stopping her in place. She nuzzled her nose and lips at the base of his neck where it sloped and met his shoulder. Inhaling deeply, she whispered, "I love you too."

His throat hardened as his eyes welled with tears. Squeezing his eyes shut, he took a step back, away from Sookie's arms. He glanced at her one last time and then disappeared.

She stood motionless for several long seconds. Numbness filled the gaping hole at the center of her chest. She waited; counted the seconds before it would start. Everything was all happening again, she thought. Hot tears burned her cheeks. She missed her Gran. Burying her face in her hands, the hole in her chest flooded with pain. She dropped to her knees and cried as the leaves from the trees surrounding her home rustled gently in the warm night breeze.

From inside the house, Amelia's music carried outside through the open windows of the kitchen. The hauntingly rhythmic beat of _The Homecoming _by the Pretenders drifted along the air around the house.

_Careful, _the touch piece echoed. Sookie's heart jumped. Pounding wildly against her chest, her eyes darted around her yard. Her knee jerk reaction was to run. She flew up the porch, two steps at a time, reaching the door in a heartbeat. As she inserted her house key into the keyhole, a familiar voice called out to her.

"Sookie?" Eric's accented voice was just above a whisper.

"You have got to quite doing that," she said; her voice stern.

Eric had seen her dash at an inhuman speed toward her backdoor. Though she was far from being fast as a vampire or fairy, she had moved faster than any human was capable of. He stared at her with trepidation. For the first time in a while, Eric suddenly considered that there was more to Sookie than either her or Niall had revealed to him.

Hesitantly, Eric approached her. He could see that she had been crying. He hated when she leaked. Though it had been at least three months since she had last had his blood –their bond was beginning to fade –it was strong enough that he could feel her emotions. Her pain and sorrow flowed freely from her side. Agony and discomfort tensed Eric's expression. He pushed as much calm through their bond as she allowed him.

After several long quiet minutes, Eric gently asked, "Do you love him?"

"Yes," Sookie whispered. Her breath caught and stuttered; a side effect from her crying. Her face was slightly puffy.

"Did you love me?"

Sookie stared at Eric. His timing was never good. She exhaled loudly. "Did you love me?" she replied with the same question.

"No," Eric hesitated. "I feel something close to it."

"Me too." At least she had.

"And now?"

"No." Sookie nodded her head. She loved Preston. A momentary silence fell between them until Sookie asked him, "Do you hate me?"

"No. Never," Eric admitted. There was something about Sookie; you either hated her or you loved her. There was no gray area when it came to how supes felt about her. "Disappointed—yes," Eric said. "But like I promised, for as long as I can allow myself, you will have my friendship."

"Thank you." The night breeze stilled for a fraction. "I have to go now Eric. It's late, and I'm tired."

"Good night Sookie."

"You too." Sookie turned and unlocked the door. By the time she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, Eric was gone.

.

* * *

.

**A/N:** _Happy Holidays ^_^_


	28. 4: Up In Flames

**A/N:** _Thank you for waiting. Sorry for the long gap between updates. I have not abandoned this story. _

* * *

PART FOUR

**Up in Flames**

* * *

Sookie stepped inside her house and turned around half expecting to still see Eric standing in her backyard. He was gone. With sigh of relief, she closed the door and locked it. For a minute or two she stood staring at the closed door, bracing her self. Her heart felt like it was tearing in two. She wanted - needed Preston to be safe and with her.

Lost in her thoughts, it took Sookie some time to notice the moaning and gasping. "_You have to be kidding me," _Sookie groaned. It wasn't the music that was suspicious. It was the sounds of a woman groaning, among other very sensual sounds that made Sookie cringe. She purposely made her way through the kitchen very loudly. It seemed to work. The sounds in question had stopped. Shaking her head in disbelief, Sookie made her way into the hallway from the kitchen just in case the living room was not safe.

In one piece she made it to her bedroom. A few steps from the door, Sookie slumped into her chair. Too tired to move, she sat in the dark in her work clothes with her purse on her lap. Her last dose of ibuprofen had finally worn off, leaving her shoulder sore and aching. Getting out of her clothes was not going to be an easy feat, but she couldn't muster the energy to care about such a thing. She was emotionally on the verge of being comatose.

Gathering the last ounces of her energy, sitting in the dark, she prayed. It wasn't something, to her eternal shame, that she did often. Believing that her Christian God was impartial in his love, she earnestly prayed that he would keep Preston safe. She prayed for Claudine, Claude, and for Niall. She also prayed that she'd see them all again. Though the Fairy War was taking place somewhere her mind couldn't even begin to understand, she read enough books to know that war meant people would be dying. She just prayed for all she was worth that her loved ones wouldn't be the ones lost.

Several minutes later, a soft knock on her bedroom door drew Sookie's attention away from her prayers. "Come in," she called out quietly. Slowly, the door cracked open until a silhouette stood in its place. "Hey Amelia," Sookie weakly greeted her roommate.

"Hey Sookie?" Amelia let out an audible breathed. She stood in the doorway staring at Sookie. Mór had explained to her when he showed up that the fairies had gone to war that very night, so she was expecting to see a distraught Sookie, but somehow finding her sitting in her work clothes, her purse on her lap, and in the dark, caught Amelia off guard. It was worse than she had imagined. "Why are you sitting in the dark?" she asked.

Sookie shrugged her shoulders and winced. It was Murray's bite mark. Amelia stepped into the room and made her way toward the bedside lamp. The lamp made a tiny clicking sound before casting a soft light around the bedroom.

"I think I need some help," Sookie admitted. Her shoulder was a bit stiff.

Silently, Amelia stepped in front of her and took her purse, sitting it on the dresser. Preston had called her earlier that evening to give her a heads up about Sookie's bite mark. She'd promise to take care of her.

"Is Tray here?" Sookie asked, noting Amelia was only clad in one of her pretty silky robes.

"No." Amelia stepped away from Sookie. With Sookie in her peripheral vision she said, "Mór is here."

"Oh." Sookie's voice was just above a whisper. Then the memory of the suspicious sounds she heard when she got home clicked into place as her tired mind slowly put together the pieces. "Oh!" she exclaimed. Though Amelia didn't say as much, Sookie could hear clearly enough from Amelia's thoughts that she didn't appreciate her sudden gusto.

"Here you go." Amelia handed Sookie one of her comfy pajamas. Looking down at Sookie, she could see she was gaping. Ignoring Sookie's expression, Amelia walked over to the door and closed it.

"Where's Octavia?" Sookie asked.

"She's at a hotel with her daughter and grandkids," Amelia replied. Sookie wanted to make some objection to Octavia staying at a hotel, but it wouldn't be sincere, so she kept quiet. Secretly, she was relieved that they had opted for a hotel room. "She agreed that it would be a bit too much with the grandkids," Amelia explained. "I think too they were looking forward to the indoor swimming pool."

"That makes sense," Sookie agreed. Tentatively, she asked, "What happened to Tray?"

"Nothing." Amelia's tone was casual. "Mór dropped by and…well…one thing led to another."

"Are you still with Tray?" Sookie was confused.

"He's a great guy." Amelia leaned forward to help Sookie out of her work shirt. "Here lift your arm."

"Ouch." Sookie winced. "And Mór?"

A big grin spread across Amelia's face. "He's so different…I've never been with a dwarf before." Sookie slipped her good arm out of her polo shirt. "It's amazing. Let me tell you—"

"Amelia," Sookie censured her. Changing the subject, Sookie asked, "Why did Mór drop by?"

Amelia shrugged. In an uncommittal tone she replied, "A favor to Preston." Carefully, she slipped Sookie's polo over her head.

"There's a war in Faery."

"Yeah, I know," Amelia replied. "Mór told me about that." Her attention was on Sookie's bandage. It was still on securely. Carefully, she helped Sookie slip her arms, one at a time, into her sleeping shirt. "You know," she said. "He'll make it through this. You both will."

The pang at the center of Sookie's chest made itself known again. "Thanks Amelia." Sookie pulled down the hem of her sleeping shirt. "I can manage the rest on my own."

"I'll go put on a pot of water. You need to take your tea before you go to bed."

"That's right," Sookie groaned. "I'll be out in a bit."

Amelia quietly closed the door. Alone again in her room, Sookie finished her prayer and afterwards she made a mental note to make sure to go to church on Sunday. Standing over her dresser, she emptied her pant pockets. She held her touch piece in her open palm. She wasn't sure how it worked, but it was proving helpful. Sitting it gently on the dresser, she made slow work at getting out of the rest of her work clothes. It was several minutes later before she padded her way to the kitchen.

"Oh." Sookie sounded surprised. "Hi." She gave Mór a half-hearted smile. He was sitting at the kitchen table. She worked really hard not to judge Amelia's lifestyle, or rather the ease that she had in going from one lover to the next.

"Ma'am," Mór happily greeted her. He instantly noted that Sookie's spark was more pronounced than he remembered it being the last time he saw her. It wasn't that Sookie looked drastically different. Granted she had an otherworldly glow about her that only supes could detect, but the change wasn't so extreme that it would draw too much attention from the humans; at least not yet.

"What are you doing?" Sookie asked; thin lines creasing her brow. Sitting at the kitchen table, Mór was doing something with his hands and a long needle-like object and thread.

"Don't laugh," Mór said. "It keeps me calm."

Sookie didn't know exactly what to say. The image was such an anti-dwarf stereotype. When Sookie thought of a dwarf she thought of Gimli wielding a sword and killing orcs.

"An ex-girlfriend," Mór masterfully moved the long flat needle, "Said I needed to calm down."

Sookie watched the movement of his hand. She found the rhythm surprisingly relaxing. Her Gran used to knit. She even tried teaching Sookie once, but Adele's thoughts were too distracting for Sookie.

"Calm down?" Sookie wondered what he was like before.

"We're built for crushing shit." He glanced up at Sookie. She smirked at his exuberance. "Busting crap up takes energy and I've got plenty." He grinned. "You wanna learn?" Mór held up a piece of string.

"Ughm," she hesitated, "Sure." She sat next to him in front of the mug of tea Amelia set-out for her to drink. "What's it called?" From what she remembered, Gran use to knit with two needles, not with one, and especially not with something that looked like a piece of flat bone.

"It's Naalbinding," Mór answered. He quickly threaded Sookie a piece of yarn and proceeded to give her a crash course explaining that he was teaching her the oslo stitch.

**. . .**

Far away, in Faery, the war raged on. War was rare in Faery and when there was war, it was swift and bloody. The Plain of Nia was filled with battle cries. The fairies' of Faery had their magic bound. This war would not be won by magic, but by the sword. Both sky and water fairies and all their allies collided in a great battle. Their strong swords clashed and slashed into flesh, filling the field with agonizing screams. Bodies decapitated and others with terrible gashes, stretched across the blood drenched field.

An elemental, the only one among the fairies, was simultaneously in two places at once. As she surrounded the Prince, she also stood on top of one of the sacred hills of Faery overlooking the Plain of Nia. Perched atop this sacred mountain, the elemental could see the many fairies that lay across the field in an unending slumber, returning to dust. She could see what the others couldn't. She could see the essential spark of the fallen returning to the wind.

Because she was still in transition – not a full fairy yet, she could not intercede in this war. Any elementals in transition could only intervene to protect their benefactors, for the power to annihilate an entire world pulsed through her blood.

So as the Prince's mighty sword struck one death blow after another, she shielded his enemy's blows. Easily, she could have blasted any who dared to move within a yard of the Prince, but his pride held her back. She allowed his enemies to approach him, but their blades never found the Prince of the fairies. His shield was impenetrable.

In a short time, those allied to the sky fairies outnumbered those allied to the water fairies. The tide of the war had turned. The water fairies' flanks were broken in three. Seeing that this critical battle had been lost, Breandan gave the order to retreat. Desperately, those belonging to Breandan who were able bodied, fled toward the Nysa Path.

"Grandfather." A tall graceful fairy approached Niall. Marcán, Fintan's only fairy son, looked to Niall. "Do we pursue?" His fairies stood ready at the mouth of the path.

Niall stood in a pool of blood. He glanced around the battle field. To one side Claude's fairies encircled about seven of Breandan's fairies. To the rear, Niall spotted Preston standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his kin surrounding a few dozen of Breandan's fairies.

"No," Niall answered. The Nysa Path was inhabited by rain nymphs loyal to Breandan. "Over the path; scouts only." Marcán nodded. Turning, he singled to his fairies. Swiftly a small scouting party took the overpass.

The war was coming to an end.

Breandan knew he had lost the war. In one last ditch effort to win, using a rain nymph to deliver the order, he dispatched his assassins to kidnap the only other person dear to Niall; Sookie. If he couldn't win in battle, he would win through trickery.

**. . .**

"Hell," Sookie exhaled deeply. Perhaps it hadn't been her Gran's thoughts. After a few failed attempts, Sookie felt her frustration grow a few notches. "Forget it." She gave Mór back the flat needle and yarn.

"It's yours to keep for later," he told her. Sookie smiled politely, turning her attention to her tea. She was thankful that Amelia put some sweetener in it.

Outside, Lochlan and Neave appeared at the edge of the woods surrounding Sookie's home. "Dwarf." Neave wrinkled her nose. Traces of the very distinct musty metallic scent of a dwarf were evident in the air.

"I smell vampire too," Lochlan said. Breandan had told them how Niall's human child had disparaged herself by spending time with vampires. Stealthily, they crept around the perimeter of Sookie's home searching for a weakness in the wards surrounding her house, but the wards were impenetrable. They needed to find a way to draw her out of the house.

"So," Sookie said. "How did you and Preston meet?"

"Since we're both from Faery, you'd think we would have met ages ago." Mór kept his eyes and hands on his naalbinding. "But as it turns out, we met in this world."

"How?" Sookie involuntarily puckered her lips taking a rather large sip of her tea.

"There's a fae bar in Seattle." That piece of information got Sookie's attention. "One particular night we both happen to be there when a fight broke out between an elf and an ursik."

"An ursik?"

"Yep," Mór snorted. "A face only a mother could love. This one night, this ursik accused an elf of cheating in a game of _yezi xi_. Before anyone knew it, the entire bar broke into a fight." Mór laughed loudly. It was a jovial sound, the kind only made from the belly kind of laugh. "Many bruises and a broken bone later, I backed up into a fairy. We were about to wail on each other when we were both attacked.

"Logically, we took a back-to-back-stance, and fought off the onslaught. We've been friends ever since." Mór grinned widely revealing a set of very straight white teeth. His general appearance wasn't anything like what Sookie was used to seeing in movies. Mór was stocky with a generous dark mop of hair on his head, but he wasn't hairy. At least as far as Sookie could tell from when she entered the kitchen. He was sitting at the table and was fully clothed in a t-shirt and jeans, so she couldn't be sure.

"How long ago was that?" Sookie asked before slamming down the last of her medicinal tea. She glanced over at Mór who was thoughtful for several seconds.

"About sixty years ago I think."

Sookie resisted the urge to stare. Mór didn't look any older than her, so to imagine exactly how old he actually was, was sobering. Like with the vampires, it was so strange for Sookie to imagine living such a long life. Just in the experiences only that such a long life would gain someone was impressive to her. She stood up and deposited her empty coffee mug in the sink.

"So I take it you decided?" Mór cryptically asked.

"Decided what?" Sookie stood next to the counter looking at Mór.

"I take it since you're with Preston you've decided to embrace your fairyness."

Sookie had no idea what he was talking about. "My what—"

An explosion, like a single gun fire boomed violently. Sookie yelped; her whole body jolted with surprise. Mór jumped to his feet, knocking his chair to the floor with a clang.

Through the side kitchen window Sookie could see that her car was up in flames. "Oh my god," she cried out. Her heart was racing. Dread and doom sickened her. What was she going to drive? Her mouth filled with the taste of bile. A series of loud popping sounds jerked her into action.

_My car!_

Without thinking Sookie rushed outside.

"Sookie," Mór called out to her. His desperate plea for her to stop skirted right past her as the screen door slammed closed behind her.

The thought that perhaps someone had set her car on fire, hadn't crossed Sookie's mind. The one and only thought she had, had been to save her car. It was paid for. Tara had sold it to her after her other car had been damaged when her house had been set on fire.

At the same time as Mór reached for his sword, which he had stashed away in Sookie's front closet, she had already made a beeline to the water spigot.

In the shadows, Breandan's assassins laid in wait, watching their plan perfectly unfold. Just as they had intended the fire to do, it drew their target out of her house; out from under the wards that protected her from them. Neave glanced over at her brother, meeting his gaze. An evil smile spread across their lovely faces. They were going to ambush their prey. Lochlan stealthily went in one direction while Neave silently maneuvered herself in the opposite direction.

Quickly, Sookie turned the knob on the spigot. She could feel the old house's pipes vibrate from the water pressure drawing the water up. Nervously, she glanced up at the fire. Orange-red-yellow flames taller than a man danced toward the dark sky. It wrapped its colored cape around and over the sides of the car, crackling and popping.

Her car looked like an angry beast. Its mouth had formed from the blown out windows on one side. A column of fire shot out of its iron jaws like a monster from Dante's inferno seeking revenge. She could feel the heat.

Her hand quickly found the end of the garden hose. She gripped the power nozzle.

"Get away from her," Mór barked. Surprised by his strange demand, Sookie looked over her shoulder toward him. Her brow creased. Mór was walking toward her with a sword.

Suddenly a different sort of sinking feeling settled in the pit of Sookie's belly. The thought that should have first occurred to her before she ran out of the safety of her house, roared its head: danger. She turned around. Standing in front of her was a fairy; a woman. Cautiously, Sookie backed-up one slow step, then another.

"Don't go too far lassie." The beautiful fairy wickedly smirked. Something wasn't right about her.

.

* * *

.


	29. 4: Unlikely Heroes

**Updated:** 8/6/11

PART FOUR

* * *

**Unlikely Heroes**

* * *

A cold chill ran down Sookie's spine. Everything about the scantily dressed fairy in front of her was off. She resembled a deranged praying mantis. There was no doubt that this fairy probably had devoured a few lovers. Her teeth were abnormally filed into sharp points. Her eyes were glossy and her gaze far away. She looked crazed; evil.

Sookie decided that she needed to start carrying a water pistol loaded with lemon juice.

"You really should have those teeth looked at," Mór clipped . "Why don't you bring your preddy lit'le self over here." He gestured with his sword. His tone suggestive. "We could go to my place if you'd like."

"Sorry dwarf," the fairy leered. "You're not my type."

"That's right, we're not related," Mór quipped. "You like to keep it in the family." Sookie's head snapped toward Mór, eyes wide. For a second her jaw hung open. "Where is your crazy brother?"

"Why don't you ask him for yourself?" Neave smirked.

Before Mór could react to Neave's comment, something hard smashed the back of his head. Sookie yelped. Instinct kicked in. With the hose still in her hand, Sookie's arm jerked up. She squeezed the trigger to the power nuzzle, shooting a focused blast of water into the other fairy's face.

The drenched fairy, Neave's brother Lochlan, dropped the large rock in his hands, shielding his face from the sudden stream of water. "You're going to pay for that," he growled, surprised and choking on the water spray. In a flash he moved away from under the water.

"It's pointless to fight, human," Neave sneered.

"You best go back to where you came from." Sookie kept the power nozzle active, shooting water in a fluid side-to-side motion. She knew it was useless. She just needed to figure out a plan. "Niall will kill you if you don't."

In unison, the fairies cackled like hyenas.

"Niall doesn't favor killing other fairies." Neave sounded pleased with herself. "Breandan will kill him, like he'll kill you."

"Slow," Lochlan added. His voice was all honeyed.

"Look." Sookie aimed the power nozzle at Lochlan again, eliciting a few irritated growls from him and cackling from Neave who was still standing in her position near Sookie. "I won't say a word if you just leave now." Her eyes frantically darted between the two fairies.

"Oh." Neave licked her lips like a porn star ready to go down on a man. "We'll be leaving real soon."

In a blink, the water shooting out of Sookie's garden hose was involuntarily redirected in an arch toward Neave's hands. She was a water fairy. Wide eyed, Sookie realized she was way out of her league. Her hand went slack on the trigger. The water cut off, leaving only a basketball size sphere of water in the fairy's hands.

Distracted by his sister's water antics, Lochlan was oblivious to Amelia's form appearing behind him. She'd heard the entire exchange from the kitchen. While she was showering, she'd heard Sookie's scream. By the time she made it out of the bathroom and into the kitchen, wrapped only in her towel, Sookie and Mór were already outside.

Quickly, Amelia emptied her small purple spray bottle she kept water in, for when she ironed. In its place she poured in the entire contents of the glass bottle of concentrated lemon juice that was in the refrigerator.

It took one squeaky squeeze on the trigger.

Lochlan spun around, his feet staying firmly on the ground. The movement startled Amelia, but her arm was true. The fairy dodged the stream coming at him. It was too late. The thin stream of lemon juice grazed his shoulder. A throaty scream rang through the night. Lochlan stumbled out of range from Amelia's spray bottle. Having planned on using the water ball on Sookie, Neave rinsed off the lemon juice from her brother's burning flesh.

Amelia rushed to Sookie's side. Her legs told her to grab her friend and make a run back into the house. But, Mór; she couldn't leave Mór unprotected from the fairies. Amelia held out the spray bottle with trembling hands.

"You bitch," Neave snarled. She straightened from leaning over her brother. Her glossy dark eyes focused intently, menacingly, at the two human women. For the sheer drama of it, Neave, in a commanding voice, ordered, "_Aquam mihi surge et imperium_."

The words were utterly unnecessary. They served to give Amelia, who Neave recognized as a Witch, a few seconds of understanding; comprehension of what was about to happen to her. Before Amelia could finish her inhalation, the water which the ground had began to absorb, instantly lifted into the air. One powerful cannon of water shot out under Neave's direction, hitting Amelia. Her body lifted off the ground and collided against the side of the house.

"Amelia," Sookie cried out. She knelt next to her unconscious friend. In her peripheral vision, Sookie saw Neave approaching her. She may be helpless against the fairy, but she wasn't going to go quietly. "Stop!" Sookie held up Amelia's water bottle. All of her attention was focused on the fairy now. For the first time, Sookie wished she would have explored her telepathy more. Bill had always urged her to test her limits, but Sookie hated her telepathy. In that moment, she wished beyond everything that she would have. Just maybe she would have found something about her telepathy that could have helped her against this fairy.

"We can do this easy," Neave calmly stated. "Or we can do this the hard way."

"I'm going to smile when Niall kills you." Sookie fixed her eyes on the fairy, searching for the slightest change. _Well, this is it,_ she silently thought. She charged at the fairy squeezing the trigger on the spray bottle.

In a blink, Sookie laid unconscious on the ground. The spray bottle lay unthreatening several feet away.

"Silly humans," Neave smirked.

"Are you done playing around?" Lochlan asked his sister.

"Oh okay," she giggled. "I'm just getting started." Neave reached down and lifted Sookie into her arms.

"Leave my great niece here." An elegantly modulated voice commanded.

"Cousin." Neave's voice was velvety and seductive. She took in the long graceful sword in Dermott's hand.

"I will not repeat myself," Dermott warned her.

"Breandan ordered we hold her as ransom," Lochlan explained.

As war etiquette dictated, Dermott knew they were not to use magic. Good thing for Sookie, Dermott was never good at following orders. However, he did think that his sword was a good looking weapon. It was a shame he wouldn't be getting a chance to use it.

"So be it." Neave handed over Sookie's limp body to her brother. Lochlan winced.

"Be quick about it," Lochlan told his sister. He juggled Sookie's weight over his good shoulder.

Confidently, Neave strutted toward Dermott.

About this time, Bill, Sookie's vampire neighbor and ex-lover stalked up. The sounds and smells of Sookie's burning car drew Bill to investigate. "What's going on here?" Bill's voice resonated clearly. His keen vampire senses quickly took in every detail of the scene before him. His nostrils flared, not exactly from the alluring fairy aroma, but from seeing an unconscious Sookie being carried away.

"This doesn't concern you, vampire," Lochlan shot out.

"She's my friend." Bill gestured toward Sookie. "And my bonded."

"She's ours now," Lochlan said .

"Then we have a problem," Bill informed him. His voice dripped with a challenge.

Lochlan positioned Sookie on the ground next to his feet. Cautiously, he took a defensive posture, revealing his silver capped pointed teeth. The glint of the fire light reflected off of them, catching Bill's attention.

Dermott and Bill met gazes for a slit second. Both supes in a flash had an understanding. Neither would be allowing Sookie to be taken.

With a strange effeminate grace, Lochlan leapt through the air like a spider monkey on cocaine. He latched on. Bill's powerful arms trembled with the force he exerted. He struggled to keep the fairy from sinking his teeth into his neck.

Several yards away, apparently from nowhere, a pair of curved blades of polished iron magically appeared in Neave's hands. She was lithe, a murderous gymnast; an assassin. With a battle shriek she charged at Dermott. Her hands moved in an elaborate dance.

Blocking every brutal strike, Dermott shifted his weight, knocking Neave off balance. He grinned. He was never one to follow rules. As a sky fairy changeling, his magic controlled the air. Neave was instantly encased in a vortex. She was trapped in a mini tornado, suctioning the last of the air around her.

The evil beauty was suffocating.

Her eyes, wide as saucers, stared at Dermott. Magic over one's element during wartime was against etiquette. Dermott lunged forward. His iron tipped sword sliced through Neave's abdomen. Blood bubbled up through her parted lips. She looked surprised. Slowly, her body slid off the blade, tumbling to the ground.

Before her body began to turn to dust, Dermott moved toward Lochlan. The crazed fairy had his teeth buried deeply into Bill's shoulder. With his back facing Dermott, Lochlan didn't see it coming. His back violently arched. The fairy assassin glared down at the tip of the sword protruding from the center of his chest.

"Save yourself," Dermott barked. Lochlan's dieing body, bleeding onto Bill, would soon begin to turn to dust. "Be quick vampire before he turns to dust."

It wasn't as if Bill had a choice. He wouldn't have been able to stop himself even if he had wanted to. He pulled Lochlan toward him. His fangs punctured Lochlan's fairy flesh. With his next breath, a happy moan echoed in Bill's chest. It was honey. The sweetest most decadent blood he had ever tasted flowed like warm silk down his throat. Every inch of his body tingled. The blood was full of life. Effervescent.

While Bill was rightly distracted with his feeding, Dermott turned his attention to Sookie. Though he was half human, he was fairy. Concerned only with the life of his brother's grandchild, his kin, Dermott ignored Mór and Amelia. Carefully, he carried Sookie into the house. Being unfamiliar with the inside of Sookie's home, he wandered into Octavia's empty room. He knew it was not Sookie's room. It didn't have her scent in it. He turned and took a few more steps to the other room across the hall. That room was filled with Sookie's scent.

Gently, he tucked Sookie in to her bed.

With his great niece safely inside and protected by the wards surrounding her house, Dermott went back outside.

"Is she injured?" Bill asked . Though his voice was strained with worry, Bill glowed with life.

"Sookie is unharmed and safely inside," Dermott answered.

"You're not Sookie's brother." Bill only now recognized this fact.

"No." Dermott turned away from Bill making his way to Sookie's burning car. Had Bill been human, he would have found the half fairy's dismissal rude.

Dermott's attention turned toward the fire. The flames had moved, inching its destructive way toward the house. Two seconds, that was all it took for Dermott to distinguish the car fire. He didn't have influence over fire. But he did have control over the air. And without air, fire was powerless.

"Dwarf." Dermott nudged Mór with his foot. "Wake up."

"My head," Mór groaned. His hand automatically jerked up, knocking Dermott's foot away from his shoulder. He gave the half fairy a scowl.

"You are bleeding onto my great niece's lawn," Dermott pointed out. "I do not think she would appreciate the stench of dwarf blood." Truth was that fairies disliked the musty metallic smell of dwarf. A bleeding dwarf was even more repulsive to Dermott's sensitive nose. It made him grouchy.

"Where is Sookie?" Mór jumped up, his hand holding firmly the back of his bleeding head.

"Lochlan and Neave are in the Summerlands now," Dermott answered .

"And Sookie?" Mór glanced around. He spotted Bill who he didn't know, but gave him a quick nod of acknowledgement.

"She is unharmed," Dermott said, leaning over and turning off the water spigot. "However, you're human lover hasn't gained consciousness."

Mór had absolutely no idea how Amelia ended up outside, unconscious, and naked. He took the towel, which he assumed had been wrapped around her, and covered her up. "Amelia." Mór gently tapped her on her cheek. "Come on my little Witch."

"She might have a concussion," Bill said. "I can offer her some of my blood."

Mór's gaze darted between Amelia and Bill and Dermott. The half fairy shrugged his shoulders. It wasn't up to him to make that decision.

"Alright then," Mór said. He watched as Bill broke the skin on the inside of his wrist.

"Hold her mouth open," Billinstructed. He pressed his wrist close to Amelia's lips and milked his wound. After a minute he said, "That should do it."

Mór gingerly scooped Amelia into his arms and carried her inside.

"You may want to take to ground somewhere new for a few days," Dermott said. "You carry Lochlan's scent. His kin may come seeking vengeance."

"I understand."

Dermott turned and headed into the house. He felt tired. Being only half fairy, using his magic the way he had tonight, had left him feeling a bit drained. He hoped Claudine would arrive soon. Her presence would make him feel better.

.

* * *

.


	30. 4: Nysa Path

**A/N:** _A thousand apologies for the delay to post the final chapters. I could easily hold them back for another few weeks, but I won't. I'm letting them go and hoping for the best. I sure hope that I didn't miss anything. These chapters were not reviewed by a beta. _

_To everyone following this story and to those who have reviewed, Thank you. I hope you enjoy the conclusion of Unwrapped._

**RECAP:** War was declared in Faery. Preston has been called to the frontline as a fairy solider. Niall has won the war, however, they are still hunting for Breandan and his dozen or so fairies who have escaped through the Nysa Path. Meantime, Lochlan and Neave have attempted to kidnap Sookie as a last ditch effort to get Niall to give up his victory. The crazy fairies failed to capture Sookie and were killed by Dermott and Bill. The story now resumes in Faery at the mouth of the Nysa Path.

* * *

Part Four

**Nysa Path**

* * *

In Faery, the cliffs flanking the Nysa Path casted long dark shadows across the plain. Preston watched the approaching water sprites. Behind them, the light of the moon revealed a trail of mist. The banners of the Lady of the Mists, the queen of Faery's underwater realm, flapped in the wind

She was part of the 'loose ends'; the sooner a truce was reached with the water sprites, the sooner they could transverse the Nysa Path, the sooner Breandan could be captured, and the sooner Sookie would be safe. Knowing that Breandan's assassins were on the loose made Preston anxious. The only comfort, if it could even be considered that, was that Mor was in Bon Temps guarding her. Preston was willing to deal with any whiplash of emotion it would generate from Sookie, if it meant that she had someone capable near her; someone Preston trusted with his own life.

He didn't know yet that Breandan's assassins were already dead. But he did know that as long as Breandan lived, Sookie's life would be in danger. Breandan had to die.

"She'll be fine," Marcán touched Preston's shoulder. Preston's expression was tense. Marcán needed him to focus. Having Preston distracted could get them killed. He didn't trust the water sprites. They were disloyal and opportunistic. If they thought there was an advantage to betraying them, they would.

"Let's end this tonight." Preston gave his friend a quick glance.

Marcán nodded in agreement. That was his sentiment exactly. He squeezed Preston's shoulder before releasing it.

The faces of the water sprites came into view. Every fairy in the encampment lowered their gaze. Water sprites no matter their form; mermaid, undine, or nymph, were dangerous. It took only one look to get caught in the power of their gaze. Any creature: fae, human, even vampire, would welcome death as long as it meant dying in the embrace of the water sprite.

The Lady of the Mists' procession stopped. Niall stepped forward, Dillon, Preston and Marcán on either side of him.

"Avital," Niall greeted the Lady of the Mists. His eyes focused on her mouth; never her eyes.

"Niall." Her lovely voice was intoxicating. It promised pleasures unimaginable.

There were parts of Niall's body that responded involuntarily. He resisted the pull of her voice; the tugging at his core to look into her eyes. Silently, he chastised himself.

"It is no time for games," Niall sharply said.

"There was a time when you loved my games." Avital filled every syllable with innuendo. Many centuries ago, when Niall had been a young fairy, he had fallen under her power. They had spent a marvelous summer exploring each other until Niall's father the Prince, rescued him from her bed.

Avital took a step closer to Niall. In a blink Preston transformed and Marcán with his sword in hand stepped forward in a defensive posture. A smile ghosted Niall's features. _The young, _he thought. He was proud at how quickly they responded to the threat.

"My." Avital drew in a sultry breath. The delicate gills on the sides of her neck moved in sync with her lips. "You never were much fun." She pouted, but cautiously she took a few steps back, putting some distance between her and the tawny wolf. In his animal form, Preston and the other wolves were immune to the water sprite's magic.

"We are at war Avital." Niall's tone was steel. "State your terms or leave, and prepare for battle." Breandan and his remaining forces were hiding in her territory.

"Suit yourself," Avital conceded. Her voice lost its seductive quality. "I come to negotiate peace." The Lady of the Mists did not want war with Niall. Water sprites were not warriors. Their only defenses were their powers of seduction and in war it put her people at a disadvantage.

"My terms are simple," Niall said. "Give me Breandan and his fairies, and I will not lay seize to your waters."

"I want amnesty for _all_ of my people," Avital requested. "Not all my subjects played a role in Breandan's coup."

"Give me the sprites that played a hand in the deaths of those that were mine, and I will give you the amnesty you desire."

"You may have every traitor to do as you wish," Avital agreed. Her hand came up out from the mist that surrounded her where her legs should have been. She flicked her wrist. "Gavran." One of the water sprites behind her came to stand next to her. "He will give you what you seek. He can show you to Breandan and his fairies."

"Then let there be peace between us," Niall declared.

"Let there be peace," Avital confirmed. She titled her chin in a small nod. Her and her entourage disappeared; all except for Gavran.

Niall hesitated.

It was only a flash, but he saw the smile on Avital's face before she vanished. Niall had reason to be cautious. Though he didn't know it, Avital had given him one of the water sprites he had been searching for. She knew Gavran was one of the rebels who had sided with Breandan and who had killed for him. She had left this traitor to lead Niall's fairies through her territory.

Marcán, Fintan's only fairy son, stepped forward. Niall grabbed his grandson's arm. "Caution," Niall instructed him. "Not all is what it seems."

"I understand," he assured him.

"Oberon's speed." Niall released Marcán's arm. The young fairy did not hesitate. Following Gavran, Marcán and his fairies along with Preston and his kin, in wolf form, disappeared into the mist.

Fairies and wolves marched across the plains, making their way between the cliffs. Preston kept a close eye on Gavran. Under the moonlight, Gavran's form glistened; a mirage in the shape of a man. Eyes set narrow and eyes that hid the truth of things just below the surface. There was something about the water sprite that Preston didn't trust. Anyone who could seduce someone not only into forgetting who he is but into not feeling the passage of time was dangerous. Preston didn't want to forget Sookie. He couldn't afford to lose time. Sookie was short lived. A fact Niall made sure he wouldn't forget.

Preston glanced back. Marcán and his fairies were close behind. He turned around. His eyes darted back to Gavran. They had been marching for several miles, traveling deeper into the Lady of the Mists' territory. Rivers and streams like ribbons of mercury languidly weaved through the Nysa Path, filling the ravine with a sweet aroma. The sensual fragrance masked the scent of whatever was hidden behind the mist. The fur along Preston's spine rose. His skin crawled. A growl rumbled in his chest.

Gavran stopped. "This is as far as I can bring you." He turned and ran his fingers through Preston's tawny colored fur. "So lovely," he purred.

Preston growled. His canines were sharp and long. He mistrusted Gavran.

A wide smile pulled at Gavran's beautiful features. "Behave little wolf," he said.

"That is enough." Marcán ordered. He averted his eyes. "For your own good, this better not be a deception," he cautioned, finding it hard to be threatening when he couldn't look the water sprite in the eyes.

"Why changeling," Gavran seductively said. A chill slithered down Marcán's back. "For a quarter human, you are not as dumb; I'm impressed." He caressed the side of Marcán's face. Marcán jerked away. "If you only knew how long my master has longed to have you."

His words confirmed Marcán's bad feeling. He unsheathed his sword. The point grazed the water sprite's chest. Surprise flashed across Gavran's eyes so quickly it was unnoticeable. He stood still; not flinching.

Marcán's fairies studied the confrontation; all took notice that his free hand had dipped into his leather pouch. They followed his lead. Stealthily, they reached for the contents of their own satchels.

Preston guarded Marcán's back. His own arched. Fur standing. Eyes glared into the fog. The mist moved ever so slightly. Preston wasn't sure of what he saw. He snarled instinctively. His wolves took a defensive posture. The fur between their shoulders stood on edge. Their intelligent glassy eyes peered into the mist.

"Oh, you can fight," Gavran leered, "But it won't do you, any of you, any good."

Breandan and his fairies along with the rebel water sprites stepped out of the mist. They were surrounded.

Marcán flung a handful of powder at the water sprite. Gavran glanced at his chest. His body instantly absorbed the purple residue. He blinked up at Marcán. He was confused.

A sword plunged into Gavran's chest. Wide glossy eyed; he stared up at Marcán. Shock filled his expression.

The powder, a potion, turned Gavran into a solid form; mortal. Marcán pulled his sword out. It made a wet suctioning sound. Gavran fell. Dead.

Marcan's fairies scattered the purple powder from their pouches. The breeze caught it. Powder spattered onto the charging water sprites.

Preston lunged. Guarding Marcan's back, his powerful jaws tore at his attacker. The fairy screamed. His arm dangled by a thread of flesh.

The sounds of combat echoed off the walls of the cliffs. The ravine filled with death. Under the moonlight, the mercury ribbons, streams and river, turned black with blood.

This was no longer a mission to capture Naill's enemy. It was life and death.

A water sprite tackled Preston. The wolf yelped, drawing Marcán's attention. The fairy changeling turned; raised his sword.

In his peripheral vision, Preston spotted Breandan stalking toward Marcán. Preston growled. Marcán didn't understand. He moved to slay Preston's attacker.

The hilt of Breandan's sword slammed into the back of Marcán's head. He dropped to his knees. Stars filled his vision. With one hand, Marcán desperately pushed himself forward; half crawling along the ground. The world swirled. Preston blurred.

Preston desperately tore his claws into the water sprite on top of him. He had to help his friend.

Marcán leaned heavily on his right hand. Footsteps whispered at his side. Unsteadily, he rose to his feet. He flinched from the sharp pain piercing the back of his head. His eyes met his attacker. "Breandan."

"Cousin," Breandan snarled. He swung his powerful sword.

Marcán angled his blade. He blocked. The momentum pushed him back. Preston roared a few feet next to him.

"It was you dear cousin," Breandan sneered, "Who I had intended to kill, not your father." His sword clashed with Marcan's.

Marcán rocked in place. His blade felt heavy in his hand. "It's over." Marcán panted heavily. "Your. Reign. Ends. Tonight." Breandan's campaign had been allowed to go on for far too long. The terror of changeling children had to die.

"Such a romantic," Breandan bitterly replied. He stepped forward. His broad shoulders shielded the moonlight. "Just like Niall." He rushed forward.

Marcán raised his sword; reflected the blow, but lost his balance. He shuffled his feet. Corrected. Swirled. Breandan ducked. He felt the rush of air as the sword glided over his head. Breandan stood. Swung his sword low. Iron sliced Marcán's flesh. The blade made a clean cut across the back of his thighs.

Marcán screamed. He fell forward. His knees popped on contact with the ground. His sword flew out of his hand, landing out of his reach. He laid face down. The scent of grass wafted around him. His muscles convulsed; quick, short jerky movements.

Preston saw his friend fall. He tightened his powerful jaws around the water sprite's neck. Bones cracked. The water sprite went limp. He flung the lifeless body off of him. Instantly Preston transformed. He grabbed Marcán's sword. His chest heaved. Blood stained his mouth and his bare torso.

He launched himself. A bloody bullet streaking across the air. He collided with Breandan. They plummeted. Swords spiraled, landing on the ground.

Lightening fast they scrambled to their feet. Preston rushed toward the sword. He gripped it firmly. His heart pounded like a wild angry animal rattling its cage. Breandan had reached his sword.

They stalked; circling each other. Feral eyes fixed on their prey. Breandan expertly wielded his two-handed sword, cutting through the air. It was impressive. He shrieked. His blade wildly made for Preston's neck.

Preston jerked his head back. Breandan's sword missed, scouring his bare chest instead. It was like fire. A line of flames streaked across his upper body. Iron. With a pained rush of air, Preston backed up. His chest burned. He had never been touched by iron before. Preston's jaw tightened. Sweat beaded across his forehead. He trembled. The pain was sharp, a bone deep burning.

A smile flirted with the corners of Breandan's mouth. "So you are the one who has defiled himself with Niall's bastard."

"Fuck you," growled Preston. Breandan let out a low rumbling guffaw.

"Lochlan and Neave will have their fun with her." A sadistic pleasure rippled across his features. He circled Preston. Slowly. Confidently. A vulture, waiting to finish off the dying.

Preston's upper body was a blaze. Acid from his gut filled his mouth. He swallowed. It was bitter. There was suddenly three Breandans. Preston blinked. His vision snapped into focus.

"Niall's bastard will beg for me to kill her." Breandan cackled.

"Shut the fuck up." Preston steadied his legs and arms.

Seeing Preston's angry and pained expression, Breandan grinned. It was more than killing that thrilled him; it was the foreplay before death that excited him. He charged. His long heavy sword cut through the air. It came crashing down. Preston blocked it. Their swords screeched; filling the night with white blue sparks.

Their swords locked. The fairies stood chest to chest, face to face.

Breandan smiled. He released one hand. Fisted it, and with one sharp thrust, he smashed his fist in to Preston's face. Bone and cartilage snapped. A flash of pain threatened to drown Preston. His vision blurred. The world went pure white. He stumbled back; drunk with pain.

A vision of Sookie flashed across his eyes. _'I love you,' _she said, blowing him a kiss. She smiled. _'I'll see you soon.' _Blonde curls blew across her cheek. For a fraction, he could smell the fragrance of her skin; sunshine.

"Sookie," Preston whispered. He loved her. From the first moment he laid eyes on her, he belonged to her. He reached out to touch her.

Breandan lunged.

Preston cried out. Blood splattered across his face. He fell to his knees. His hand burned with iron. His other hand went slack around the handle of his sword. It laid on the ground next to him; harmless. Sookie vanished. He was back in the middle of the Nysa Path. His breaths were loud and short. Preston swayed onto the heels of his feet. His spark was drifting away.

His eyes followed Breandan's stalking movements. This was it. He knew he would never see Sookie again. He would miss her. The way she danced; her body swaying rhythmically. With her clothes on or off he enjoyed watching her dance. A gentle melancholy smile ghosted his face. Tears streaked down his bloody face. He had promised to keep her safe. He had always kept his word.

Breandan's cruel laughter filled the ravine. He leapt into the air. His blade came barreling down.

Everything happened instantaneously.

In a blink Preston decided. If he was to die, so would Breandan. Conviction solidified his will. Rage energized him. Preston lifted his sword. He pushed up with his thighs meeting Breandan's sword.

"Die," Preston growled. His sword plunged up and into Breandan's gut. He drove his sword to the hilt, as Breandan's blade dug into his shoulder. Preston's arms quivered. Hot blood poured over his hand, running down his arm; mixing with his own.

He didn't let go. Breandan's momentum jerked him. His sword tore Breandan from gut to pelvis. The large fairy crashed, taking Preston.

Blood pooled beneath them as the fighting continued around them.

Preston breaths were short, strained. The weight of Breandan's body was oppressive. Time lost meaning; lost substance. Over the fire that was consuming him, Preston felt it. Breandan was turning to dust. There was peace in that knowledge.

Sookie was safe.

Breathing became easier, but not less painful. Moments later, Preston slipped into the darkness.

. . .


	31. 4: Playing with Fire

Part Four

* * *

**Playing with Fire**

* * *

"He's right here." Claude's voice carried toward Claudine. She was helping Marcán to his feet. Sweat beaded over his lip. He was weak, but he would live.

"Go ahead." Marcan's voice was weak. From where he leaned against Claudine, he could see Preston was in bad shape.

"Take him," Claudine told a fairy foot soldier next to her. He slid his arm under Marcán, and he took him from Claudine. She rushed over to Claude.

"Is he alive?" she asked, thinking of Sookie.

"Barely," said the fairy that had stopped Preston's bleeding. He pulled the cap off a flask. With one hand behind Preston's head, he tilted him and poured the contents of the flask into his mouth. It would help slow the iron poisoning. This was the best they could do at the moment. "He's ready to move," said the fairy. He stood, his large pouch at his waist, and he went to stabilize the other wounded.

"Help me with him." Claude took one of Preston's arms and draped it across his shoulders. With one hand on Preston's wrist and his other arm wrapped around him, he hauled him up. Claudine took the other side. Her eyes darted to Preston's chest and shoulder.

"They weren't killing wounds," said Claude. "Missed any vital organs. He can still make it." He tried to reassure Claudine. The strain on her face made Claude's stomach knot up with tension.

"We need to hurry." Claudine picked up their pace. The sooner they could get a Master Healer to tend to him, the better his chances of survival.

. . .

In Bon Temps, Sookie laid in her bed. She stirred under the warmth of her blankets. Her eyelids opened slightly. Then the image of the psychotic fairy flashed across her mind. With a start, Sookie bolted up in bed. She ran her hands over her body. Her heart was beating so quickly, it made her chest ache.

Her eyes quickly darted around her surroundings. She was in her room, and she was unharmed. The lamp on her bedside table filled the room with a soft gentle glow. Next to her, Jason was sound asleep. He had pulled a chair next to the bed. Her brow furrowed.

"Jason." Sookie watched him shift in the chair. "Jason."

His hand came up to his face and he rubbed his eyes. "No," Dermott replied. "My great niece, I am your uncle." He stood slowly and walked toward her open bedroom door. "The resemblance is uncanny, is it not?" Sookie nodded her head in agreement. She didn't speak. With her telepathy she scanned his mind. He looked like Jason, but he didn't sound anything like him, and his mind didn't feel anything like Jason's.

Dermott disappeared into the dark hallway. Suddenly, Sookie felt vulnerable; uncertain. Yet, something deep in her soul told her she was safe. She moved to slide out of bed then she stopped. Her head throbbed with the remains of a headache.

"This should help." Dermott returned. He handed Sookie a few ibuprofen and a glass of water. "Neave gave you quite a blow," he said. "You'll have a headache for a while."

"Thanks." She took the pills and swallowed. "There were crazy fairies here." Sookie's throat tightened. "They set my car on fire."

"I'm afraid your car was damaged beyond repair," Dermott said. "Neave and Lochlan, the _'crazy fairies'_ have also been," Dermott paused thoughtful, "Damaged beyond repair. We will not be seeing them again."

"They're dead?"

"They have _'bit the big one'_." Dermott smiled brightly. "They will no longer pose a threat to you or anyone."

Sookie was thoughtful for a moment. "Okay," she spoke up softly, "So you're my uncle." Sookie was as certain as she was when Niall told her he was her great-grandfather. Perhaps under different circumstances she may have pondered where such an absolute conviction came from. If pushed, she could only say that glancing down at her arm, it is her arm; glancing at Dermott, he is her great uncle.

"Yes. I am Dermott."

"Nice to meet you Dermott."

"A pleasure to meet you my great niece."

"What happened?" Sookie asked. "Where's everybody at?"

Dermott took several minutes to explain how he had showed up and about Bill helping him dispatch their enemies.

Sookie shook her head. _"That was a bad idea."_ She cringed. "Bill, is he okay?"

"Yes," Dermott answered.

"Amelia how is she?" she asked. "Is she okay?"

"Hey kiddo." Amelia appeared in her doorway, dressed in a soft green lounging set. "Quite a night, huh."

"I'm sorry to get you mixed up—"

"Stop," Amelia interrupted Sookie before she went into full _'guilt' _mode. "What's important is that we're all safe. Maybe a bit banged up, but nonetheless, we're still alive and kicking."

Sookie moved to slide off the bed.

"You should rest," Dermott suggested.

"Human needs," Sookie replied.

"Yes," Dermott stood up. "Of course. Sorry. Let me excuse myself."

"Why are you here?" Sookie asked when he reached the doorway.

"To protect you," he replied automatically and casually. He turned and disappeared into the dark hallway.

"I'm heading up stairs," said Amelia. "Mór is staying the night."

"Good night." Sookie gave Amelia a reassuring smile.

A moment later she was alone and in the privacy of her room. She attended to her needs and afterwards paused to see herself in the mirror. Everything looked fine. No cuts. No bruises.

She opened the door to an empty bedroom. Seeing her vacant bed suddenly filled her with an ache at the center of her chest. The thought of Preston danced across her mind. She missed him. Sookie took a step toward her bed and then froze.

Someone was suddenly standing in her bedroom.

"Claudine."

Sookie's bedroom door to the hallway flung open. Dermott came rushing in.

"Claudine." Dermott sounded relieved. His body relaxed.

A split second later Mór with a sword in his hand raced in. "Damn woman," Mór gruffed. "I could have killed you."

"You could have tried," Claudine sassily replied.

Sookie became aware of Claudine's appearance. Her brow tensed. Claudine's face and hair looked unkempt; not her usual put-together appearance. She looked like she'd been fighting.

"Have you been fighting?" Sookie asked.

"Yes." Claudine sighed sadly. "I was."

"Do you want to use my bathroom?"

"Preston's been hurt." Claudine's angelic face, contorted with sorrow. Sookie's body instantly flexed. "I'm so sorry."

Mór exhaled. He said nothing though he hoped that his friend had met his death bravely.

A heavy weight of silence fell over the room.

Sookie felt her entire being quiet until she heard nothing. A cold chill crawled over her skin. Glancing up, she watched Claudine's face glisten with tears. She looked vulnerable; delicate. Sookie thought she looked beautiful.

"Sookie?" Claudine was unsure if Sookie heard her. Her expression was blank; unreadable. "Sookie."

Sookie hauled in a deep breath. Numbness, like Novocain, had spread over her. At the center of her chest, she felt a biting heat, like a hot iron scorching her body over her heart. Peripherally, she sensed muffled noises. Claudine was talking to her, but Sookie heard nothing. It took several moments before she felt her voice forming at the back of her throat. She swallowed hard. "Where is he?"

"He's being treated," Claudine explained. "I don't know if he's going to make it."

Nausea swiftly slammed into Sookie. She raced to her bathroom and emptied what little content was still in her stomach. It was messy.

Several minutes later, she reappeared. Mór was sitting in the chair; his expression grave. Dermott was on the edge of her bed. Claudine was still standing. Her beautiful face was twisted with the strain, of what Sookie imagined, was the face that people who had been tasked to deliver bad news, wore.

"Can I see him?" Unshed tears rimmed her eyes.

"He can't travel." Claudine would never do what she was about to do if she or Claude thought for a certainty that Preston would pull through. "Claude moved him to a private location. Niall doesn't know; nobody but us. If you hurry I'll take you to him."

"It's forbidden," Dermott replied. He was on his feet. If they were caught, if Sookie were caught, it meant death to everyone.

"Preston wouldn't like this." Mór's voice was brusque.

"It is too dangerous," said Dermott. "Sookie can be killed. We can all be executed."

"Not if we're not caught." Claudine was confident in her conviction that she was doing the right thing. She turned her attention to Sookie. "It's up to you."

"I don't want to risk anyone but myself."

"Too late," Claudine quickly replied. "If you want to see him, I'll take you."

"I'll take her." Dermott came to stand next to Claudine.

"Sookie." Mór's rough voice drew her attention to him. She turned to look at Mór. The movement felt sluggish; unreal. "You understand that if you enter Faery and you're discovered, you'll be executed."

"We won't get caught," Claudine confidently replied. "I can feel it."

"If Preston pulls through and you're caught." Mór ignored Claudine. "You need to think this through. What it would do to him."

"He needs me." Sookie's voice was soft; vulnerable. The muscles in her throat were so tight, it hurt to talk.

"I'm Sookie's fairy godmother," replied Claudine. "I take full accountability. If anyone is to take her, it will be me. I'm responsible for her well-being."

"Taking her into the Lion's Den," Dermott pointed out, "Does not equate to keeping her safe and alive."

"Claudine can take me." Sookie swallowed the sharp pain welling at the back of her throat. She turned calmly; delayed shock, and went into her walk-in closet. A strange sensation filled Sookie. Her mind and her body seemed disconnected. She felt nothing, but a focused concentration to get to Preston.

"This is suicide," Mór grumbled. Sookie reappeared in jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers.

"Oberon's speed." Dermott hugged her.

"I don't know what you plan to accomplish with this little stunt," Mór said. He disapproved.

"Love," Sookie replied. That one word resonated in the others.

The room fell silent again. The three fairies stared at Sookie.

"I'm ready." Sookie looked up at Claudine. Her fairy godmother approached her and wrapped her arms around Sookie.

"It won't hurt," said Claudine.

"I know."

A blanket of warm light enveloped Sookie. Claudine's arms were motherly; protective. A different kind of security filled Sookie. It was reassuring and loving. Sookie kept her eyes closed and relaxed into Claudine's embrace. She resisted the overwhelming need to cry. Though she couldn't see, Sookie felt each time they paused, and then each time they moved again. Eventually, the warm light disappeared.

Sookie opened her eyes and slowly registered her new surroundings. The colorful floor beneath her feet was highly polished; it looked wet. The open latticed doors caught her attention. The light casted a calming color across the shimmery floors and over the simple furnishings. Like sunbeams glistening over the surface of a pond. Everything in the room felt like Niall, exotic and foreign. Sookie's eyes trailed to Claude and to the steps behind him that led to an elevated area hidden by panels of drapes.

"This is one of our family's private retreats," Claude explained. "As long as you stay within these walls you are safe from discovery."

Sookie nodded. "Where is he?" A short woman stepped out between the drapes carrying a tray. "Dr. Ludwig."

"Sookie." The doctor titled her head. Sookie still found it a paradox that someone so small, Dr. Ludwig was about three feet tall, could have such a deep voice. "You look well. He's been calling for you."

Something sharp, between fear and hope, bit Sookie's heart. "I want to see him." Her gaze darted from the doctor to Claudine.

"You can see him," said the doctor, "But he won't know you're here. He is unconscious. I had to sedate him. He was in a state of delirium from the poison and tried to teleport. He will sleep for a while. It'll do him good; allow the potions I've given him to do their job."

"Is he going to be okay?" Sookie asked.

"If he makes it through the night, yes, he will be fine physically," the doctor paused. "Mentally, there are no guarantees. Fairies have a hard time adjusting to," she paused, "Violent physical changes."

"What can we do for him?"

"I've done everything I can," said Dr. Ludwig. "We can only wait now and see if his body takes the healing."

"Your discretion as always is of utmost importance," Claudine told the doctor.

"As it always is." Dr. Ludwig sat her tray on a nearby ornate desk. Her face was framed in coarse golden brown hair gathered at the base of her neck in a bun. "I needn't remind you, though I am compelled to do so, you are _all_ playing with fire." She glanced at Claude and Claudine; her round eyes settled on Sookie. "If he gets worse, call me."

"We will," Claudine replied.

"Good," abruptly said the doctor. She gathered her things and approached Sookie. She held out a small jar in front of her. "Apply the ointment, my own receipt, four times daily on the wounds. You can cool him with a damp cloth, only for comfort," Dr. Ludwig held up her finger for emphasis. "I need his fever to run its course and burn the poison out."

"Ok," Sookie breathed. She blinked and the short woman, who Sookie wasn't sure was a dwarf or a Hobbit, was gone.

"He's through the drapes." Claude gestured behind him.

"I'll be back." Claudine hugged Sookie.

"Thank you." Sookie's smile did not reach her worried and sad eyes.

Before Claude and Claudine disappeared, Sookie turned and tentatively made her way up the steps and between the drapes. Her hands trembled. Every nerve ending in her body was pulled tightly. All she knew was that Preston had been hurt, but other than that she wasn't sure what to be prepared for.

She slipped her hand between two drapery panels. The feather soft fabric brushed the back of her hand. Breathing deeply she stepped through the columns of thin fabric.

For an infinite second, all stood still.

Sookie gasped. A pained sad sound came from between her lips. Preston laid at the center of the bed. The covers were drawn to his waist, leaving his bare chest exposed. Her eyes trailed across the bandages covering his chest and shoulder and finally to the hand hidden in the same white bandaging.

The tears that she'd been holding back broke loose. Her body convulsed. Hot tears streaked her face. Her breaths caught between her cries. She gripped herself; crossing her arms tightly across her chest and stomach. In the filtered light, Preston's complexion was pale; chalky. He didn't look alive.

Panic filled her. Sookie rushed toward him. She knelt next to the bed. She had to touch him; she had to make sure he was still alive; still warm. Gingerly, she reached out and touched his arm. He was feverish.

The essential spark between them awoke from the contact. Sookie inhaled sharply and it felt like it was her first breath since Claudine told her he had been hurt. Sookie buried her face in the bed, her hands clinging to Preston's arm, and sobbed.

It took several moments for her tears to dry up. Her body rolled with the waves created by her strong emotions. When she finally settled, Sookie kissed Preston's arm, lovingly making her way toward his face. She reached out and brushed back his unruly hair away from his face. He was so hot to her touch.

"Please don't leave me." She traced the side of his face, leaving a trail of small tender kisses. Carefully, Sookie moved to lay next to him.

. . . 


	32. 4: Healing

**Posted: **3/26/11

**Updated: **3/28/11

* * *

**Healing**

**

* * *

**

Preston's moans and restless movements woke Sookie. She jerked up and rolled off of Preston. He was on fire. She had fallen asleep on top of him. Sitting up, her eyes scanned her surroundings. Preston had been calling her name out during the night. The only thing that had kept him calm was touching him. She'd undressed them and pressed her body against his. The more skin contact she had with him, the better. As long as she kept herself pressed against him, his body would relax and he would quiet.

Sookie slid off the bed and picked up her clothes. She slipped her shirt over her head and jimmied herself back into her jeans. Intuitively, like she had done over the last several hours when he grew restless with fever, she wrung out the cloth in the bowl of water next to the bed and wiped him down. She started with his forehead, moving to his neck, then his torso, then his arms, and then his good hand. By the time she had finished, Preston had quieted. She repeated the circuit twice more.

Since she arrived the day before, he still wasn't lucid when he was awake.

Sookie placed the wash cloth inside the bowl of water and moved her hands over Preston's bandages. She started to remove the one over his shoulder, then she moved to his chest, and then to his hand. Dr. Ludwig had instructed her to apply the ointment four times daily. Though it was the third time that day that Sookie had seen the wounds under Preston's bandages, she still flinched.

Carefully, Sookie applied the ointment. The deep gash cutting across his shoulder had not closed yet. The skin around the wound was red; raw. It looked painful. It was the iron that was preventing the wound from healing completely. Sookie moved to his chest.

A single line of screaming red stretched from one side of his upper chest to the other. This wound also had not closed, but it did seem to have filled in a bit. This was a good sign thought Sookie. However, his finger and the palm of his hand still had not changed any. It wasn't worse, but it wasn't better. A portion of Preston's finger that was now missing still hadn't healed.

"How is he?" Claude's tenor voice announced his arrival moments before he appeared between the panels of curtains screening the bed from the rest of the room. Sookie didn't jump; she was too tired.

"Still no change really." She sighed.

"We can't grow back what we lose." Sookie followed Claude's eyes to Preston's injured hand. "We can heal from almost anything, but we can't regenerate missing limbs."

"I didn't know." Sookie stared down at Preston's hand. She carefully applied the ointment over the exposed end of what was left of his finger.

"I brought a meal for you."

"Thank you, Claude."

"Claudine said to tell you that everything is fine at the bar."

"Can you stay a while?" she asked. "I'd like to clean up."

"When it's Claudine's turn, she'll bring you some of your own clothes."

"Ok." Sookie couldn't help feel a little disappointed. She was in the same cloths she arrived in. Catching Sookie's expression, Claude shifted from one foot to the next.

"The wardrobes," he hesitated. "I'll check and see what I can find."

"It's okay Claude." He shrugged nonchalantly and disappeared through the drapes.

Alone with Preston, Sookie turned her attention back to him. His complexion hadn't improved much since she first saw again. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sookie leaned over the side table and prepped fresh clean bandages. When she finished applying the one, Claude reappeared.

"I can't stay long." Claude appeared on the opposite side of the bed. "There's a sleeping gown in the wash room."

Sookie glanced up at him and noticed his expectant expression. She took that as her queue. "I'll hurry." Claude nodded, but said nothing.

Hesitantly, Sookie moved away from the bed. Since she arrived, she had only left Preston's side when it was absolutely necessary. At the edge of the drapes, she paused to glance once more over her shoulder. She made herself take the last step through the panels of fabric.

Once in the sitting area, Sookie moved purposefully toward the washroom. She quickly spotted the gown Claude had mentioned along with a few towels. When she was near enough to the freestanding bathtub, she hesitated. It was filled with water. With no signs of plumbing in the room, she wondered how it had been filled.

"It's just hot of warm," Claude said. Sookie startled. When she turned, Claude was standing in the washroom with a smile of amusement on his lips. He gestured to a basket sitting on small table stool next to the tub. "Those are bath salts and balm for your hair."

"Thank you." Her eyes met Claude's gaze, searching for something she couldn't find the energy to know what exactly. Kindness? Wonderment flashed across blue eyes.

"I have to get back before someone notices I'm gone," Claude shifted on his feet. "Hurry." He turned abruptly and left. Sookie grinned. It was the first sincere smile she'd felt since she arrived.

As promised, she did hurry. It was, she thought, the fastest bath she had ever taken.

"Who's cloths is this?" Sookie asked gesturing to the simple tunic she was wearing. Claude was lounging in the sitting area. He stood up, watching Sookie drying her hair with one of the towels he had left out for her.

"Enda," he answered, "Niall's mate." He stepped forward. "I have to get back. Claudine will be back in the morning."

"Thank you, Claude." They stood staring at each other. An awkward silence filled the space between them.

"Bye." Claude disappeared. He didn't give Sookie a chance to say good-bye.

Sookie tried to eat what Claude brought her, but without much of an appetite, she left the tray almost untouched. She returned to Preston's side and watched him. He looked peaceful. Sookie slide next to him and before she could force herself not to, she fell asleep.

In the morning, Sookie woke up surrounded by the scent of Dr. Ludwig's ointment; it was a mixture of something close to cinnamon and frankincense. And somewhere under that scent was Preston; a clean masculine aroma.

Sookie shifted. That's when she felt a weight over her waist. Preston's arm. A smile drew up the corners of her mouth. Just as quickly, her face went blank. She remembered the last few days. Sookie opened her eyes. Her hand caressed Preston's arm draped over her waist.

Sometime during the middle of the night, Preston had rolled over, drawing Sookie against him.

She started to move and Preston's arm tightened around her and drew her into his body. This was a good sign, she thought. He was using his arm with his hand bandaged to keep her pressed against him. His hips pressed into her backside and Sookie smiled. It was definitely a good sign.

With some effort, Sookie turned herself so that she was eventually facing Preston. Her heart jumped and her pulse raced. His masculine beauty took her breath away. His color had returned. His chalky complexion had turned rosy and healthy. She drew her hand up to his face, and she touched him. No fever. She hauled out a breath of utter relief. He was going to be okay.

After sometime tracing his face with her hands, Sookie did manage to slide out from under Preston's strong arm. Leaning over him, she removed the bandages. "Wow," she whispered. His wounds had healed. The red raw skin had been replaced with healthy pink skin.

Though he didn't need it, Sookie still applied the ointment into the scars that were left behind. She wondered if they would heal as well.

Over his shoulder was a thick raised scar, which ran across, starting at the back and running toward the front side of his shoulder. A similar thick scar stretched across his chest at an angle. Her fingers slowly traced each scar noting the texture; smooth. Like her old scar on her side where she had been staked, Preston's scars were cooler to the touch.

She moved her attention to his hand. First, she applied the ointment on the scar across the palm of his hand, and then to his ring finger. It was the same length as his pinky finger. Where it had been severed, the new skin that had healed over the opening was thicker in texture. Her finger worked the ointment over the scar.

"Please don't." Preston drew his hand away from Sookie's. Seeing her touch the imperfection stirred something bitter inside him.

"Preston!" Sookie threw herself across his chest. "Did I hurt you." She was so close, she filled his vision.

"No."

"Thank god," she breathed the words into the side of his neck. Sookie tightened her arms around him, overcome with relief, gratitude, and joy. Without thinking, Sookie trailed happy warm kisses along his skin, ending with his lips. "I thought I'd lost you," she whispered between kisses.

"We're safe now." Preston cupped her face between his hands. In the peripheral of his vision, he caught his marred hand and he tried pressing Sookie away. He was disgusted with himself.

"What's wrong?" A pained expression ghosted across Sookie's face.

"You shouldn't be here." Preston averted his eyes.

"I'm exactly where I should be." Sookie absently picked up his scared hand and kissed his palm.

"How can you stand to touch me?" He took his hand out of Sookie's.

"How can I stand it?" Sookie sounded sarcastic. She didn't understand the mixed sensations she was feeling from him. "How can I stand _not _to? I love you Preston. I came as soon as Claudine was able to manage it. I've been here worrying; afraid I would lose you."

"I'm fine. You can go now."

Sookie sat up on the bed staring at him. She couldn't understand why he was pushing her away. If she didn't know differently, she would think he didn't love her. But she remembered Dr. Ludwig's words. He'll need some time to adjust.

"Please go Sookie." Preston's voice was harsh. He turned away from her piercing gaze. Shame; regret; pain; fear; each emotion worked to taint his soul.

"Preston, please don't do this," Sookie pleaded.

He pulled away from her reach, turning away so he couldn't see her face. The gesture pierced her.

"Just please. Go." Preston sounded defeated.

Sookie bit her lip, steeled herself, and stood. Silently, she took the ointment, closed the lid, and placed it on the tray. She moved around the bed, her eyes never meeting Preston's and picked up the discarded bandages.

The silence was deafening.

Preston was keenly aware of her moving about. She was like electricity reaching out toward him. Her spark caressed him, like silk running over the length of his own spark. She was marking him.

Preston stilled, closing his eyes. He remained silent, not trusting his heart. When he was sure he wouldn't call her to him, he opened his eyes. She refused to look up at him, but he couldn't blame her. A part of him felt it was probably for the best. He didn't believe it. He watched her take the tray and disappear between the curtains.

"_He just needs time,"_ she assured herself.

Though her mind understood he needed time to adjust, her heart didn't. Every part of her wanted to turn back around and take Preston into her arms, but she didn't. He needed some time; exactly how much time, she didn't know.

Standing at the door that led out to the terrace, Sookie watched the last remnants of night slip away, replaced by the lights and sounds of a new day. She turned away from the landscape and stood staring into the room. Deciding she couldn't avoid Preston any longer, she moved toward the panels of fabric with a glass of water and a bowl with some sort of fruit that Claude had brought her last night.

"You should eat something." Sookie glanced up. She quietly gasped. Preston was sitting on the edge of the mattress, his feet on the floor.

Her eyes trailed the expanse of his strong smooth back.

An overwhelming urge to run her hands across the soft planes, knotted things below her belly button. The tactile memory made her breath flutter. The desire to want to feel him under her hands was strong.

"_Get a grip,"_ she silently scolded herself.

She moved slowly, her eyes never drifting away from his back, noticing how the muscles moved as she walked toward him.

Stepping around the corner of the bed, Sookie walked near him and sat the tray next to the bed. Preston felt his stomach tighten. His traitorous body and heart betrayed him. Preston closed his eyes. She was so close he felt the heat from her body against his legs. He told himself he wouldn't touch her.

Slowly, he lifted his gaze, allowing his eyes to roam over Sookie's body. He knew if he leaned forward, closed the few inches between them, that he would be able to smell her skin. His hands twitched. The sensation reminded him that he was no longer whole. His jaw tightened. Without knowing he was doing it, he hid his scared hand.

"Where am I?" He knew he was in Faery, but he didn't know whose bed he was in.

"Claude and Claudine said we're safe here."

"Go home." His voice barely veiled the anger he felt. He was relieved that Breandan was dead, but for a fraction of a second he wasn't sure the price was worth it. _"It was," _he mumbled to himself. Sookie was safe. He closed his eyes. To never touch her again had been the steepest price he had paid.

"What's wrong Preston?"

Sookie glanced down at him. Preston's once expressive eyes were now blank.

"I don't want you here." His voice had an edge. Sookie's arms tightened next to her body.

"I won't leave like this." She chocked on the pain welling up in her throat.

He was being stupid and it frustrated Sookie, because she could feel that he knew he was.

She squared her shoulders and before either she or Preston knew what happened, she drew a hand up and slapped him. Her eyes went wide with shock. The sound of palm smacking flesh echoed in the room. Preston stared up at her with shock, not quite believing what she'd done.

Panting, almost breathless, she struck him again. It was automatic.

"You don't get to get rid of me." Tears streamed down her cheeks. She knew he needed time to adjust, but this, the way he was acting. She raised her hand again. Preston seized her wrists.

He held her trembling in his grip. Her breathing was frantic.

"If you don't love me, then I'll leave." Her lips quivered.

His eyes fixed on her. Sookie let out a quiet gasp. His lovely chocolaty hair perfectly framed his face. His tawny colored eyes filled with a heat that made her heart skip a beat. Preston watched her closely. The rise of her chest; the warmth of her skin against his hands; her pulse; her deep short breaths that matched his own.

"I don't..." His chest tightened. He couldn't lie to her. She was close enough for him to smell her skin. It was intoxicating. He shook his head.

"Say it," she demanded, yanking futilely on her wrists. A muffled growl rose from his chest. The sound made her tremble in deep dark ways. She tried harder to pull out of his hold, but she couldn't. Preston was strong. She sometimes forgot just how strong he was.

"Why are you so stubborn?" A sad smile ghosted over his lips.

"If you want me to leave, say it." She hated how unsteady she sounded.

Preston released her wrists. Sookie stood perfectly still between his thighs. She was panting. The sound excited him. Despite himself, he slowly ran his fingers along the outside of her gown, following the line of her thigh. Her spark reached out to him; touched him.

A soft breath slipped though Sookie's lips. She tightened with need under the feather light touch of his fingers. She didn't understand what was happening, but she didn't want to stop it. A part of her, something deep inside her, was reaching out like an invisible hand and touching Preston's exploring fingers.

Slowly, unhurried, Preston trailed his hand, pausing at her waist. He closed his hands to hold her securely.

"I," he paused.

Sookie fisted her small hands.

Suddenly, the tension between them was like a high wire. The invisible line connecting them was about to snap without breaking. It would give, like a guitar string being plucked, just enough to send sweet ripples through them both.

"Kiss me." Her voice was raspy.

Preston's heart beat quickened. He hesitated.

"Kiss me. Then I'll go." Her delicate and soft fingers played over the skin of his shoulders. His body quivered under her touch. But it was more than Sookie's feminine hands, it was also her essential spark. He looked up at her.

"One kiss." What he did next was instinct. He drew her down by her arms toward him, and he kissed her. At first it was gentle, but one touch wasn't enough. He kissed her again more passionately. Everything else vanished.

Preston's touch was proprietary. His hands, like Sookie's were demanding. Before she realized it, her thighs were straddling him. Preston's mouth went to the curve of her neck, claiming, fighting the need to mark Sookie. His breaths were deep, filling something deep inside himself with the scent of her skin.

"I love you," he confessed. He tugged at the cord holding Sookie's gown. When it gave, his hands easily pulled her tunic down to her waist. Her back arched gracefully, placing her succulent breasts near his mouth. Preston buried himself in her silky mounds, inhaling her scent. She moaned when his tongue flicked out, touching her nipple.

Her essential spark jumped out, clinging to Preston. It swirled around his, like two lovers, melding into an invisible energy that cocooned them; filled them. The healing effect of their combined energy pulsed through them. Sookie cried out; overwhelmed. It was too much pleasure.

"Mark me." Her voice was raw. Desperate. For a few days, she had thought she would lose him forever. The thought of going a day, a lifetime, without Preston, was too painful to imagine. She wanted Preston's fairy mark on her.

Preston drew back. His eyes were dark with his need.

"Mark me," she told him again. Sookie took his scared hand and kissed it tenderly.

"Sookie." Preston's voice was pained. How could she still love him like this?

"I love you." She kissed each finger, and when she was done she drew his hand to her and placed it on her breast. "Make me yours."

That last gesture undid him. With his scared hand he kneaded her breast. Sookie let out a sigh mixed with soft moans. The scar across his palm, teased her sensitive skin, sending ripples of pleasure that were almost painful it felt so good.

Preston's hands slid down around Sookie's waist again and rested on her back, drawing her toward him. She didn't resist. Her back curved elegantly, her breast inching closer to Preston's mouth.

With heavy lids, Sookie watched him take as much of her between his lips, drawing her into the wet warmth of his mouth. Strange sounds filled the space between them. It took several moments for Sookie to realize it was her. She was bathing in the warm pleasure he washed her in. Her grip on the back of his arms, tightened. She needed to feel more of his body against her. She tried to press against him, but Preston held her firmly as she writhed.

A sharp cry spilled between her lips. Preston drew away, pulling her nipple as far as it would between his teeth. He released her.

"Tell me again." His voice was raw; thick with lust.

"Mark me." Sookie was breathless. "Show me I'm yours." Preston moved to her other breast, his tongue and mouth working the nipple into a hard bud. This time using more teeth, he took her, as much as he could, into his mouth.

His hands glided along the curve of her waist, over the swell of her hips, beneath the tunic and over the rise of her bottom, cupping her. He moaned into their kiss. She was completely nude to him beneath the tunic bunched around her waist.

"Again," Preston rasped.

"Show me," she half screamed. "I'm yours," Sookie whimpered. The look on Preston's face was sure and focused. It was filled with the perfect knowledge of what was going to happen. Sookie stared into his eyes, feeling his hands finding their way between the crevasses of her body. She shuddered. Her head swayed back, as Preston parted her.

"The other hand," Sookie moaned. She looked down at him and watched his expression as she took his scared hand and guided it between her thighs. A mixture of emotions rippled across Preston's handsome features. "Do it," she demanded. And he did.

Sookie screamed, her hips bucking against his hand.

"Yes. Oh yes." With each thrust of his fingers Sookie sounded less coherent. "God yesss." She could feel this fingers reaching up, touching places inside her that were impossible; his spark pulsed through his fingers and up into Sookie's body, caressing her where none of her previous lovers could ever touch. This was something only he could do; share with her. And the knowledge stirred something primitive inside Preston's soul. He moved his hand faster, making Sookie scream and shudder; again and again.

As his mouth left a trail of wet kisses along her heated skin, he brought Sookie to her first climax with his hand. She collapsed against him. Preston quickly moved her so that she was laying beneath him on the bed. Before she could recover, Preston kissed her. It was more like he was tasting her, drinking her into his body.

His scared hand confidently slid along the length of Sookie's smooth leg, until he reached the back of thigh. He guided her leg up and over his hip, opening her for him. There was nothing separating them. She was hot and wet against him. Sookie could feel him; he was hard and ready. He glided himself over her slick wetness. Her hips bucked, seeking him out, wanting him so badly she couldn't think straight.

"Preston. Please."

With his arms on each side of Sookie, Preston lifted himself enough to see where their bodies met. He groaned as the warmth of her body consumed him, inch by inch. He suddenly stilled; his head falling back. A loud moaned rumbled from his chest. Sookie's essential spark caressed him from inside starting where his body was touching her. She moved up his manhood, spreading her spark along his thighs.

"What are thinking?" he asked, panting. He watched her with heavy lids.

Sookie stared at him in awe. He was so beautiful; it caught her breath inside her throat.

"Mine," she rasped. Preston nodded, breathless, in agreement.

Her spark surged up then, like a tidal wave, through his body, marking him. He cried out, his hands gripping her thighs. He held on to her, pulling her up; raising her hips off the bed. Every muscle in his body trembled.

Sookie's gaze dropped between them and she watched with fascination as Preston filled her. Each movement he made to move deeper inside her, and then out, and then in again, made her moan.

The bedchamber filled with the sounds of their final coupling. And as he drowned himself in the scent of Sookie's skin, he marked his mate; allowed his scent to spill over every inch of her body one wave after another.

Sweaty and weak with the sweet exhaustion of their love making, they laid wrapped in a bundle of limbs; legs and arms. Surrounded by the scent of sex, the marking, traces of cinnamon and frankincense, and the scent that was all Preston, masculine, Sookie smiled contentedly. She snuggled her cheek into the curve of Preston's shoulder, practically purring with satisfaction. She was as happy as a cat that finally caught the canary.

Sookie couldn't be for sure, since she had never been drunk before, buzzed yes, but never out right intoxicated. But with Preston on top of her, breathless as she was, she felt high.

"We should get back." Preston was the first to catch his breath. He rolled over, bringing Sookie toward him. She tightened her hold across his chest. "It's too dangerous here for you."

"I don't think I can move," she said and she meant it. "That was something else." Her smile was lazy.

"That my lady," he said, "Is how fairies mark their mate."

"Did I mark you too?"

"Yes." Preston rolled her back over, pressing his hips into her until he elicited a soft moan from Sookie.

"No teasing Mr. Pradloe."

"Mr. Pradloe." Preston laughed.

Sookie moved her arms so she could reach up and touch the sides of Preston's face. "I think we should stay in bed all day."

"Are you trying to seduce me?"

"I thought I already did." Sookie smiled mischievously. Preston's moan caught inside his chest. Sookie's spark trailed along his, like a lover's tongue leaving a warm wet trail.

"Oh yeah," Preston agreed. His voice had a lazy velvety quality. He nuzzled into the nook of Sookie's neck. His hands went to the secret spot that he knew if he touched just so she would giggle uncontrollably. A moment later, Sookie's breathy and loud giggling filled the bedchamber. She writhed beneath him, not from ecstasy, but from laughter.

"That's not fair," Sookie cried out, "You're not ticklish."

The sound of someone clearing their throat instantly silenced them.

In a flash Preston was on his feet at the foot of the bed. Much less gracefully, Sookie climbed out of the bed and stood behind him. She found her gown and slid it on, tying the string at the neckline to keep it from cascading off her shoulders and to the floor.

Sookie touched Preston's back. He turned around, his finger at his lips indicating for her to be perfectly quiet. Sookie nodded. Preston reached for her hair and brought her long blonde locks over her ears to hide their roundness. He gestured for her to stay.

Preston moved toward the drapes. Sookie took a steadying breath. She could feel her pulse jumping frantically. Her eyes were fixed on Preston's bare back. The fact that he was completely nude was lost in light of possibly having been caught. Sookie's stomach tightened, not from anticipation of Preston's touch, but from fear.

The last sliver of Preston's flesh disappeared through the drapes. She was by herself, standing next to the bed, trying and failing not to tremble.

"Preston," said a man's voice. Sookie strained to listen. "Good to see that you have recovered."

Sookie let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She recognized the voice. She moved to step through the drapes. "Niall," she greeted her great-grandfather. Though he smiled, it missed his eyes. He was upset. The expression on his face alarmed Sookie.

Niall watched Sookie step beside Preston. Her arm went around his waist. The way they possessively and protectively held each other did not go unnoticed. He was not angry to find them together. He was angry at the risk that was taken.

He nodded his head disapprovingly. He had already sternly reproached Claudine. It was beyond negligible for her to have brought Sookie into Faery. The risk that Sookie would be discovered and lost to them prematurely caused his chest to tighten.

"I know that you do not recognize the grave danger you have put yourselves in." Niall made no attempt to disguise his displeasure. "Preston," Niall focused his malachite green eyes on him. "Get her safely back—quickly." Niall stood up taking a few steps to stand in front of the doors leading onto the terrace.

Sookie opened her mouth to speak, but Niall put up his hand, effectively silencing her.

"I know that you love him," Niall said. He paused to steady himself. "There are important things you need to know before this," he gestured at them, "Can go any further than it already has.

"I'll give you my blessing, only after you have heard me. Until then, you must promise not to see him. Not until you have heard me out."

There was something in the calm and earnest tone in Niall's voice that Sookie had never heard before. But it was more than that; it was the expression in Niall's face. The obvious effort to contain himself that she saw in his eyes made her swallow. Though there was anger, there was also pain and sorrow in Niall's eyes. Sookie didn't understand, but hearing his voice and seeing his face, it made her want to listen.

"I promise."

Niall sighed deeply then he disappeared, like stepping through a door.

"We need to go quickly." Preston turned to gaze down at her. "Get dressed."

"What's going on?"

"No matter the reason, it's forbidden for any of us, including Niall, to bring a human into Faery," Preston explained, "Its grounds for immediate execution. The fact that Niall has found out, it is now only a matter of time before the others, the lesser princes, discover you. They'll kill you, and execute me and anyone else they can link to you being here, including Niall."

Sookie swallowed. Preston touched the side of her neck.

"I thought with Breandan gone, there wouldn't be any more danger."

"It is not so much Breandan. We have laws, laws that govern us. Though it wasn't like this always, it is now forbidden for humans to enter Faery. Many fear a contamination in one form or the other. Faery is the last safe haven that we have." Sookie nodded. If she was a fairy, she might have felt the same way. "Let's go," said Preston.

"Okay." Sookie didn't have to be told twice.

"Don't leave anything that you brought with you," Preston instructed her. Sookie quickly pulled on every piece of clothing she brought with her, including her sneakers. It took her a few minutes to find the ponytail she had in her hair when she first got there. Once she found it, Preston teleported them out of Faery.

Sookie didn't breathe easily until they were back in Bon Temps and in her kitchen.

"We're safe now." Preston took Sookie's trembling hands into his.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm positive." He drew her close to him. Sookie allowed herself to relax into the warmth of this chest.

"Don't go just now," she said.

"I won't."

"Just hold me," she said and that's what Preston did. They spent their last moments together, holding each other, until it was time to say good-bye.

. . .


	33. 4: Horizon

**Posted: **03/28/11**  
****Updated:** 08/20/11

* * *

**Horizon**

* * *

Sookie sat on the sofa staring at her cell phone laying on the coffee table. That little piece of technology was taunting her. It finally broke her will power. She couldn't help herself. She placed her open book on her lap, and for the tenth consecutive time she picked up her cell phone. And like it had an hour ago, it still indicated no new messages.

Her fingers glided over the keys. "_M__iss you." _She hesitated sending the text message. Then one character at a time, the letters disappeared. She tried again. "_I luv you."_ The same thing happened again.

She sat staring at the blank screen and blinking cursor.

**~ . o . o . ~**

Preston paced back and forth. He felt like pixies were fluttering just beneath his skin. "I have to call her." He pulled out his cell phone.

"Put it away," Mór cautioned him. "You know the rules. You gotta leave it up to her."

"I could just say 'hi'," Preston reasoned. "That's pretty harmless."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"You're going over there." He gazed wistfully over his cell phone at his friend. For a fraction of second he considered accompanying Mór to pick up Amelia for their dinner date.

"No," Mór answered. He knew what Preston was thinking.

"Can you check on her for me at least?" he pleaded. "Make sure she's happy."

"You need to chill," Mór advised his friend. "Maybe you should see people on the side until Niall has his little talk with her."

Preston's jaw tightened. "You're supposed to be helping me."

"Easy now," Mór said. "I was just kidding," he lied. The look on Preston's face was grave. "She'll call you. Give her some time," he assured him. "I'll talk to Amelia. See what the holdup is."

Preston gripped the counter and his head slumped down between his outstretched arms. The grout lines between the tiles of Mór's kitchen floor were dirty. He needed a Brownie.

"Tell me everything."

"I will." He meant it.

Preston hauled out a breath and ran his hands through his hair. There were so many unknown variables that he couldn't breathe without his body hurting with uncertainty. It was a real possibility that after Niall spoke with her; she would decide not to see him. Suddenly Preston's throat constricted. The air in Mór's apartment was stifling.

"I have to work." Preston's tone was abrupt. Mór stared at him as he stepped away from the counter. The next moment Preston disappeared. Mór stood alone in his kitchen.

"Ok," he said out loud. "It was nice seeing you too. Talk to you later."

**~ . o . o . ~**

Amelia modeled her date outfit for Sookie. She twirled making her green dress flap around her legs. "How do I look?"

"You look real nice." Sookie's smile didn't reach her eyes.

Amelia stopped twirling. She placed her hands on her hips and looked at her friend. "Why don't you just call him?" She was tired of seeing her mope around for the last few days. "You've been staring at your cell phone since you got home from work."

"I told Niall I would wait until we had our 'talk'."

"I don't think a text message would hurt any."

"You think so?" Sookie wistfully asked.

"You're your own person Sookie. No one, not even Niall, not the vampires, no one can decide for you, except for you."

"I need a shower." Sookie stood up. Her book landed with a soft thump on the floor. "Say hi to Mór for me."

"I will." Amelia beamed.

By the time Sookie reappeared from her bedroom, Octavia was sound asleep in her bedroom, and Amelia was off enjoying her date with Mór.

With the silence that enveloped the house, Sookie was able to let her guard down and relax her mind. It was then that she noticed the gentle humming of Niall's mind in her living room. Sookie climbed out of bed, and once in the hallway, she bobbed her head around the corner. Niall was sitting in the dark.

Sookie entered the living room, making her way to the lamp. Niall stood up. His bright smile tugged at Sookie's heart strings. He looked so happy to see her.

For days she had been set on having a stern 'come to Jesus' with her great-grandfather, but now, she felt herself waiver. She was just happy and relieved that everyone she loved had made it through the Fairy War.

"Niall." She gave him a reserved smile.

Since meeting his great-granddaughter Niall had learned that when she called him great-grandfather, she was happy with him, but when she called him by his name, she was displeased with something.

"You're upset with me," Niall stated. Sookie shrugged her shoulders. She loved Niall though most of the time she didn't understand him. He held out his arms. She stepped into his hug. Niall smiled, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I'm willing to hear your piece about Preston and me out of respect." Sookie squared her shoulders. "You just need to be clear that you get no say in whom I love and who I want to be with. I make my own decision, and if you want to be a part of my life you don't have to like my choices though it would mean a lot to me if you did, but you do need to respect my decision."

"I can do that." Niall's voice was gentle.

"Alright then." Sookie drew in a breath. "Are you hungry?" She automatically led Niall into the kitchen. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Yes please," replied Niall. "Some tea sounds nice."

He took a seat in Sookie's modest kitchen, and lovingly watched her gracefully navigate the kitchen. Like the living room, this part of her house was also filled with her scent. Her fairy essence was more distinct than it had ever been. If anyone had doubted it before, there was now no denying that Sookie was his kin. Niall sat up straighter. He felt tremendous pride watching his great-granddaughter. She was a credit to their family.

"Here you go." Sookie placed Niall's drink in front of him.

"Thank you."

She took the chair across from Niall and watched him sip his drink. Under the light of the kitchen Sookie noticed that Niall's myriad of fine wrinkles had grown deeper. The war had visibly taken its toll on her powerful great-grandfather. Though his wrinkles made him look older, they only enhanced his beauty.

"So what is it you needed to tell me?" she asked. Niall placed his glass on the table, his hands on either side of the glass.

"I can't undo the heritage Fintan gave you," he began, "But I can help you not to experience the remorse my son felt for condemning two children to the half-in and half-out existence."

Sookie hauled in a breath. There was a sharp pain at the center of her chest. "You think I'm making a mistake with Preston?" Her expression was pained.

"No I do not, but Fintan would have disagreed with me."

"Then I don't understand. Why? Why are you making things hard for us?"

"I don't disapprove of your attachment to Preston," he answered. "There are inevitable consequences of pursing a relationship with a fairy that you need to be aware of."

"I see." Sookie nodded her head. She was well aware of the consequences. Her body was a ticking time bomb. She knew she was growing old and she would die. The thought that one day she would look old enough to be Preston's mother tortured her. Life seemed hell bent on not giving her a break. Sookie suddenly felt parched. She stood up and filled a drinking glass with tap water.

"Your close proximity with a fairy stimulates your essential spark," Niall explained. His attention was fully on Sookie. She stood over the sink as she drank her glass of water. "Your spark will grow stronger."

"What does that mean 'my essential spark will grow stronger'?" She placed her glass on the counter and steadied herself. She had that awful feeling that she was about to learn something she didn't want to know. Wiping her hands on the kitchen towel laid out on the counter, she swallowed hard, and turned around to face Niall, keeping her hands flat on the counter behind her.

"The more time you spend with my kind, the more pronounced the heritage Fintan gave you will become." Sookie stared at him speechless. Her expression went blank. "This is why I do not visit you more often, or why Claudine doesn't see you as much as she would like to."

"So," Sookie slowly started. She anxiously drew her hair behind her ears. It was a pointless gesture. Her hair was braided. "Spending time with you. Or Claudine. Even Preston. Will turn me into a fairy?" She was unsure how she felt about that, but a glimmer of hope flickered in her heart like a candle in the dark. Could it be that she would have more time with Preston?

"No," Niall answered. With one word Sookie's hope was snuffed out. "You will not be human and you will not be fairy."

"So I'll be a freak is that what you're saying." Sookie sounded bitter. Niall visibly bristled. _All this_, thought Sookie, _because he couldn't keep it in his pants_.

"Sookie."

"Sorry." Unshed tears clouded her vision. She pressed her lips tightly together touching her knuckle against her bottom lip.

"The stronger your essential spark, the more difficult it will be for humans to accept you. You may find fitting in to be more challenging than trying to live as a telepath among them. If humans grow suspicious, more so if they suspect a fae connection, either their memories of you will need to be adjusted or you will need to leave."

Neither of these options was appealing to Sookie. She stood perfectly still, steadying her grip, her control, over her feelings. Absently, she pressed and glided her fingers over one arched brow.

"But this is only one outcome," Niall said. "There will be changes that are hard to predict. You may find that you will be stronger, faster, than you once were."

"Faster?"

"Your reflexes may be sharper. It is difficult to know what changes you may experience, but you must weight for yourself alone, if you can live with the possible changes."

Sookie felt herself edging toward being overwhelmed. A stabbing pain radiated in her chest. It was already hard enough for her to fit in, how much worse would it get?

"Any children you may have with Preston will not be fairy and they will not be human. They will not be easily accepted by either race. If humans accept them, they will do so for a short time only." Sookie drew in a sharp breath. She folded her arms across her chest. "And Faery will be less accepting."

"But there's no guarantee we can even have children, right." She didn't want people mistreating her babies, even if they were just hypothetical.

"That is true. It is rare. But there are other outcomes your union with Preston will have." Sookie swallowed fighting against the light headed feeling threatening to overcome her. "As you age," he continued, "which you will eventually despite the spark, Preston may not chose to stay by your side. This happens."

"I see." Sookie bit the inside of her bottom lip. This was too much. She turned around to face the sink and refilled her glass. As she drank her water, she swallowed the traitorous tears wanting to stream down her face. With a shaky hand, she sat her empty glass in the sink. "Did you leave Einin?" Her voice was barely audible.

Niall's expression hardened with a mixture of shame and sorrow. Several long moments of strained silence passed between them. Sookie knew what his answer would be. She stared at the faucet...waiting.

"Yes."

A thought crossed Sookie. Had he marked Einin the way her and Preston had marked each other. She opened her mouth, paused, and decided she didn't want to know.

"You think Preston will leave me too?"

"It is a possibility." His voice was somber. "Most fairies…not all," he added softly, "Who take human lovers; leave."

That wasn't what Sookie wanted to hear. The weight of Niall's words would have crushed her if they had had physical weight. Slowly, she let out her breath as her hope slowly slipped away. She quickly wiped her tears away.

"This is a possibility that I hope you do not have to face. But these things you need to understand."

Sookie nodded. It took her a few tries before she could say, "Thank you." Her voice trembled.

She finally understood Niall's reservations. He was just looking out for her, and she couldn't begrudge him that.

"I want you to be happy Sookie." Niall stood up and walked over to stand beside her. "I will do everything I can to protect and care for you and your children. This you can be certain."

Sookie's heart cried out. Niall was already thinking ahead to his great-great grandchildren. Her breath caught at the back of her throat. The sound was heartbreaking. She moved, placing her back to Niall so he couldn't see her and buried her face in her hands. She cried. It was a pitiful sound she thought.

Niall placed his hands on her shoulders. She turned around and allowed him to wrap his arms around her.

"Take your time dear one." Niall's voice was tender. "When you're ready you will know what to do. Whatever your choice, I will be here for you." Sookie nodded. Niall kissed her on top of her head and allowed his magic, his essential spark, to comfort her. She breathed out a ragged sigh.

**~ . o . o . ~**

In the day or two that followed Sookie's visit with Niall, Octavia had made the decision to move out and return to New Orleans with her lover, Amelia decided to break-up with Tray and date Mór exclusively, Sam's mom decided to divorce her husband, and despite all the decisions being made around her, Sookie still wasn't any closer to making her own decision.

On the fifth night, Sookie grabbed her throw and went outside. She had set-up the lawn furniture the day before and like the sight of the furniture yesterday had on her, they again reminded her of Preston.

The gaping hole where her heart should have been about made her buckle over. She sat down quickly and rested her head against the back of the lawn chair. She would have cried if she had anymore tears to shed.

She hugged herself beneath her throw blanket.

The night sky was clear and filled with stars. Sookie stared up at the starry dark blue canopy. She relaxed her mind. The sensation was like uncurling a closed fisted hand. Except the hand was her mind.

On the edges of her telepathy, she picked up a void.

"Hi Bill." Her voice was soft. Though she didn't hear him or actually see him, the blank spot her telepathy picked up indicated vampire, and the only vampire who wondered on her property was Bill.

"Good evening Sookie." His voice was kind and hopeful. He stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight.

"How are you?" she asked. Her gaze still fixed on the night sky.

"I'm doing well," he replied. "May I?" Sookie nodded. He took the seat next to her.

There was a long stretch of silence between them. She appreciated that Bill never felt compelled to have to fill in these long silences. They both sat quietly, enjoying the companionship of someone else's presence.

"Once I would've gotten old and gray," she broke the silence between them, "Would you have stayed with me?" she asked. Despite everything her and Bill had been through, she had always been able to talk to Bill about anything. "How would you have felt about that – about me growing old?" She turned her gaze to Bill.

"Yes," Bill answered emphatically. There was no hesitation; no doubt in his voice. "I would have stayed with you until the end." He would have taken care of Sookie until the day one of them had died. "My blood would have slowed your aging," he added.

"But eventually I would have died right?" she asked.

"Eventually, yes." _Perhaps,_ he added silently.

Sookie let out an audible sigh and turned her gaze back to the night sky. If Bill would have stayed beside her until the end, Sookie was certain that Preston would also. It just didn't seem right to her, for her to ask Preston to watch her grow old and die; wither away.

"I love you, Sookie." Bill's voice was just above a whisper. Her brow wrinkled slightly. She turned and glanced at him.

"I know," she whispered.

"What are you afraid of?" He could sense something was weighing heavily on her shoulders, and he was certain it was more than her mortality.

"Everything." She shrugged. Bill smiled at her, his eyes fixed on her, noting the changes in her.

"You're more fairy than I remember," he absently stated.

"Yeah," she breathed. "It tends to happen when I'm around them."

"Are you still with the fairy?"

"I'm not sure." Her voice cracked. Her words were a lie. Bone deep, she knew she still was and she always would, one way or the other, she always would be with Preston. She bit back the pain and the urge to cry.

"Did you have a disagreement?"

"No," she answered. "He's a fairy Bill and I'm...I'm just me."

"I can't speak for anyone else," he explained, "But from experience I love you 'just as you are'. I wouldn't want you any other way."

She smiled at him though her eyes were sad.

"I'm going to grow old Bill. What then?" she asked. At the back of her mind, she wondered if all she could have was one year with Preston, would she take it or leave it? She wanted him, but she wasn't sure if she could endure the heartache if Preston ever walked out on her the way Niall walked out on Einin. She wouldn't blame him if he did.

"What if circumstances were different," Bill hypothetically suggested, "And it was you who would out live him? What would you do then?"

"It wouldn't change how I felt," she answered. "I'd stay with him."

Bill smiled at her. It wasn't condescending. It was heartfelt and something between love, sadness, and knowledge.

"Regardless of what you may see in the mirror," he replied, "Love changes a man. He only sees the woman he fell in love with. Everything else is inconsequential."

Sookie studied Bill's expression.

"I love him," she confessed. That much she knew for a certainty.

"I think you've said it all," he replied. "If you ever change your mind, I won't be going anywhere."

Sookie drew her hand out from under her blanket and offered it to Bill. He took it and gently squeezed her hand.

"DeCastro is making inquiries about you."

"What's new," Sookie bitterly replied. A dozen yellow roses showed up at her doorstep a few days ago from none other than Philip De Castro. She wondered if he had signed the card himself, or if a flunky had.

"He submitted a request to the fairies."

"You're kidding me?"

"No, I'm not. Whatever DeCastro is, he is shrewd. When Eric relayed Niall's message, he was quite upset from what I hear. He doesn't want to risk a war, so he's treading lightly."

"Good."

"He's not pleased about it. When dealing with fairies, you do things on 'fairy time'."

"Fairy time?" She glanced at Bill, grinning.

"Nice and slow." Sookie let out a laugh. "I hope you'll be happy."

"Thank you, Bill."

They stayed in companionable silence holding hands for some time before Bill stood up and disappeared into the woods that surrounded Sookie's property. She waited a few minutes after he left before she made her way inside and to bed.

******~ . o . o . ~**

Before dawn, Sookie was awake and dressed. She was filling her thermostat with coffee when Amelia entered the kitchen.

"It's about time." Amelia yawned. Sookie was dressed for a road trip.

"Coffee?"

"When are you leaving?" she asked taking the coffee mug Sookie offered her. "Thanks." She blew into her mug before sipping the hot coffee.

"I wanted to wait until you were up," Sookie informed her.

"Well, I'm up." She grinned at her friend. "Say hi for me." She sat her mug down and hugged Sookie. "Get out of here before I have to kick you out." Amelia pushed Sookie out of the kitchen giggling. "Call me when you get in," she instructed her. "Drive safely."

"I will. I promise." Sookie hugged Amelia one last time.

"Go on, get out of here." Grinning from ear-to-ear Amelia waved at Sookie as she watched her pull out of the driveway.

Less than an hour later, through the windshield of her car, Sookie watched the sun rising, painting the sky in shades of pink, purples, and yellows.

Outside of Monroe, Sookie took the exit that would lead toward US-61 South. All the little voices of doubt and second guesses had quieted. They were still there, but there wasn't much she could do about that. Her two choices, the way she saw it, were: let them cripple her or press on despite them. This was her chance for a piece of happiness, and she wasn't going to look back.

Sookie kept her eyes on the horizon. She didn't know what the future would bring, but she was going out and meeting it.

On the left side of the highway, in white letters, the green highway sign read _Baton Rouge 76 miles_.

**. . .**

**THE END**

**. . .**

* * *

**A/N:** _Wow! The story is done. Wasn't sure if I would ever get to this point. Thank you for sticking around and for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed the journey. Hope you come back and read again. I am currently working on a piece of fiction, so my time has been divided to say the least. There are a few works of fanfiction that I would love to finish and I hope to do that. I don't like leaving something unfinished. Again, thank you for supporting this story and for sharing it with others._


	34. Sequel to Unwrapped

The sequel to _Unwrapped_ is now posted as a work in-progress.

**Purple Death  
**_A murder mystery_

* * *

**Summary: **Settled into a permanent relationship with her fairy and enjoying domestic bliss, Sookie is once again pulled into vampire intrigues. A series of unexplained vampire deaths have the Louisiana vamps spooked. Bill Compton, Area 5 Investigator, comes knocking on Sookie's door seeking her special help.


End file.
